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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27283297">Kingdom of Heaven</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress_WomenSpirit/pseuds/Huntress_WomenSpirit'>Huntress_WomenSpirit</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Medieval, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Gore, Child neglection mentioned/flashbacked, Family Member Death, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mage!Cas, Monsters, Non-com (mentioned as fear but does not happen), Plagues and diseases mentioned, Transphobia mentioned (avoidable), Violence, Work In Progress, hunter!dean, lgtb+, monster hunting, noble!cas, peasant!dean</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:02:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>71,991</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27283297</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress_WomenSpirit/pseuds/Huntress_WomenSpirit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It´s been fifteen years since the end of Heaven´s War, since the defeat of the ruler known as the King of Hell, given his cruelty and ruthlessness. The new, kinder king changed the name of the country to Heaven, and since, the Kingdom of Heaven was reborn. In the new reality four noble family Houses, vassals to the king, control the territory.</p><p>Castiel of the House of the Mighty is a scholar, a healer, a noble, and a mage. One day as he returns from the High Academy of Magic, he finds a mortally wounded hunter in a forest full of monsters, so he takes him home to nurse him back to health. But when Dean Winchester wakes up and tells him he needs to find his brother Sam, who has gone on a hunting trip and hasn´t been seen in a few days, little does Castiel know that his monotonous, planned life is about to completely change.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Castiel/Dean Winchester, Possible Sabriel let´s see</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Angel Flight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/3815995">The Way to a Man’s Heart is Through Chlamydia</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/violue/pseuds/violue">violue</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Oh jeez. I can´t believe this is finally happening. I´ve spent months on this. This is my second destiel fanfic ever, but this is the first serious story I have ever written. The first universe I create. This started as something funny and light but boi, it grew so, so much. </p><p>Some important parts of this fic, the ones I started to build from, are inspired by The Way to a Man’s Heart is Through Chlamydia by violue. If you haven´t read it, you must (link provided). I will mention them in corresponding chapters so I don't spoil anything in advance- also, if any major stuff happens in a chapter, I will add extra tags at the beginning (but I think I got them all in the general tags).</p><p>This will be a long fic. I´m planning 30+ chapters. EDITED- I think it's probably going to be 45? I have no idea xD I started being able to post a chapter per week, but life caught up. I am hoping for a steady, one chapter per month now. Its slow- BUT ITS COMING. I am finishing this story even if it kills me- I love it too much ^^ Most chapters are inspired by a certain song, that I will post the link to. Almost every chapter will have easter eggs.</p><p>  Originally this story was gonna have a lot of fanart but I lost my artist and I cant contact them so, since I'm not sure if they still wanted their work to be portrayed here I thought it would be more respectful and safe to delete it all :) So dont get confused if someone in the comments says something about a fanart that isnt there :) </p><p> </p><p>I REALLY poured my heart into this. I believe I´m not great at making justice to the characters. My Dean and Cas won´t be as the ones in the series (thank God this is an AU). But I can promise a wide, complex and fascinating world in which I´ve spent lots of months in the making, that will be discovered as the characters travel through their journey, several interweaving plots, and interesting mysteries to be solved. Even though I try to focus on writing it for me, kudos will be much appreciated, comments even more, and constructive (kind) criticism will be the greatest gift I could receive. </p><p>Thanks and acknowledgments will come in the end... but I need to mention you, MossMan (Note). When I started this, you had more faith in it than me. At some point, I continued it just because of you. I still feel that this is a work of both of us. You know this one´s for you :)</p><p>Oh, boy. Here it comes... </p><p>Welcome to Kingdom of Heaven :)</p><p>This first chapter has been inspired by the song Hunt or Be Hunted from The Witcher 3 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prvAdHXUvbs)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Castiel flew as much as he could.</p><p>  Glinting white wings extended wide at his back, and though he couldn’t get any sensation from them, he could control them at will. For some more minutes, at least. Flying was, if he was honest to himself, the only time he felt truly free. He loved the feeling of the wind on his face, the thrill of speed as he lunged forward between the treetops and the clouds.</p><p>  He clutched the bag on his side. It was the reason he was soaring the skies. The structural integrity of the deadly nightshade blooms he was carrying was too sensitive to survive teleportation without it affecting their magical properties. It was honestly shameful to think that the reason he was able to enjoy that was because of an errand. But Feathers of Swiftness were expensive magical trinkets, and the Academy would not hand them over just for him to have fun.</p><p>  Since now he had a good excuse, he fully intended to enjoy it.</p><p>  He was feeling the magic inside the feather in his pocket flicker a bit, warning him its energy would end relatively soon, when he heard a fading echo coming from the forest.</p><p>  He stopped, spreading the wings vertically to the ground, hatching on the winds to come to an abrupt halt; before starting to flap them to keep him in more or less the same spot… and listened.</p><p>  He heard some… roaring? Closing his eyes to listen, he rapidly covered the dozens of atlases on magical creatures he had memorized over the years. The sound was too raspy to be from an ogre, too low to come from a hircocervus, and it was not the correct time of year for it to be of manticores. Woodland fiends, he decided. Organized in nests, usual traveling number between four and ten. Claws, horns, fangs; brutal strength, do not engage alone.</p><p>  As the last sentence of his lesson resonated on his head, he heard something that made him open his eyes with horror: a human scream.</p><p>  He looked down, paling. There was someone in the forest. In the Doomed Forest of Wyvernon. Probably being mauled by four-to-ten huge monsters.</p><p>  He didn´t think twice before diving down. It was stupid, an unnecessary risk, as his mother would put it. He fully knew. Combat manuals don’t stipulate <em>do not engage alone</em> without good reason. He had not graduated yet. He was no combat expert.</p><p>  That hadn´t stopped him before, however. Why would it now?</p><p>  As he crossed the frontier that the treetops formed, lion-like roars from the creatures traveled to him; but also a cry of challenge, and… the guttural whine of a beast being hurt.</p><p>  The woodland fiends were big things, around eight feet tall, basically humanoid. Thick black hair covered most of their bodies, skipping their faces and chests. Their huge hands were tipped in razor claws, their fangs protruded from their lips, and two viciously curved horns crowned their heads. </p><p>  One of the monsters staggered back and finally stumbled and fell, a huge humanoid hand to its bleeding neck. He actually tripped with the corpse of one of its brothers. In the time it took Cas to land and make the magical wings disappear, he saw that there were several lumps on the forest ground… bodies, in fact; six of them. All of them woodland fiends.</p><p>  He turned awed to the screaming man that was fighting the seventh one.</p><p>“Come on, you son of a bitch!! That all you got?!”</p><p>  He was covered in black blood and grime, except where trails of sweat had cleaned them down from his skin. His face was set in a pained but smiling expression, teeth bared defiantly against his enemy. He roared and charged, and delivered a savage blow with his longsword to the chest of the monster. The monster stepped back, and somehow that six-foot-tall man tackled the huge beast when it was trying to regain its balance and made it fall to the ground. Towering over him, he raised his black steel.</p><p>  But before he could lower his sword on a finishing blow, two clawed paws dug on his sides, ripping down savagely.</p><p>“No!!”, screamed Cas, starting to run.</p><p>  The man screamed, sword tumbling from his hands, and as pain soared through him he fell to his knees, straddling the thing. He doubled over, panting, eyes wide. The creature pulled to take him to his jaws, to bite his head off his shoulders.</p><p>  Another not so humanly roar rose, and suddenly the man was brutally stabbing the thing´s neck and face. Cas froze, horrified at the savage exchange. The beast whining and digging its claws into his body over and over, ripping through it; the man screaming in pain and hate and rage as the silver dagger went down again, and again, and again...</p><p>  And finally the fiend stopped moving, head lolling to the side. The warrior got to his feet and staggered away from the creature, doubled over.</p><p>  He panted for a moment, breath ragged. He looked down. His whole torso was ripped apart in vicious vertical lines. Rivers of blood soared from his gaping wounds to his legs. His arm was trembling violently when he clutched it around his midsection.</p><p>“Dammit…”, he rasped.</p><p>  And a second later he had slumped into the forest floor, back to the sky.<br/>“Shit!”, exclaimed Cas, running to him.</p><p>  It couldn’t have been more than ten seconds between he had landed and he got the fallen man. It had all happened so fast…</p><p>“Hey! Hey, can you hear me?”, he asked as he kneeled at his side and turned him over.</p><p>  His eyes were heavily lidded and obviously losing focus. Cas put him on his back and lifted his arms from his torso, swearing when he found that he could see some organs he really should not be seeing. Castiel put two fingers to the man´s temple, feeling the flow of his life force.</p><p>  He knew he would be gone in minutes.</p><p>  His hand hovered over the man´s torso and with a whisper of power, a white light appeared on his palm, bathing over the stranger´s body… and it started changing.</p><p>  Eyes closed, eyebrows frown, his awareness traveled into organs and muscles, tissues and blood vessels. He felt the tear on his stomach, the ruptured abdominal cavity, the strain the whole system was under to try and keep the body alive through pain and blood loss.</p><p>  <em>First, go to the deeper wounds</em>, he heard the memory of the voice of his father in his mind, <em>You don´t want to close the cuts but let your patient die of internal bleeding</em>.</p><p>  His organs first, then the tissue that held them together… Slowly but surely, the muscle that showed developed new fibers that intertwined as they grew, the skin alongside cuts elongated to join once again. When he lowered his hand, panting slightly, the bleeding wasn’t as bad anymore, and only some long shallow slashes remained.</p><p>  He put two fingers to his temple again. His life force had stopped draining so drastically, but he was still in mortal peril. He hadn´t been able to fix all the damage with one spell. He needed further healing attention, or the blood loss would take him.</p><p>  He considered healing him magically again, but hesitated. He was well aware of what too much magic could do to a person. His decision became easy to make when his eyes glanced over his belt… where a leather potion holder showed him one empty container. He took it to open and smell it. Yarrow, a hint of turmeric… a healing potion. He frowned as he pressed his lips. If he had already had a potion, maybe his spell had hurt him already. He could not risk furthering the Corruption.</p><p>  But he could not leave him there. He stared at him for a couple of seconds. Pale, unconscious. Helpless. He sighed. Damned hunters.</p><p>  His mother was going to kill him.</p><p>  Then he pursed his lips in a bitter smile. When had that stopped him, again?</p><p>  He rummaged in his bag until he found a blue crystal prism with tipped edges. He frowned at it for a second, and then to the bag where some very valuable blooms were going to be wasted immediately. His teachers were going to kill him too.</p><p>  With no hesitation and a word of power, Castiel thrust the teleportation crystal into the ground, beside the fallen warrior. Still clutching it, he murmured the incantation needed to bind the bluestone to the place, that would make it an anchor for magic, and that could not be revoked unless someone used magic on it too.</p><p>  Then he took the warrior on his arms, gripped him tight, and saved him from the forest; both disappearing in a blink.</p><p> </p><p>  Cas appeared flawlessly beside his bed, but before he opened his eyes the weight of the hunter´s body made him almost fall face-first into him. He tripped with a little yelp, but managed to lower him into the left part of the mattress.</p><p><em>Note to self- hunters are </em>heavy<em> with muscle</em>, he thought, <em>Next time, visualize them already laying on the bed</em>.</p><p>  Next time. Holy damn. He should not be doing this, but his mind was already thinking there would be a next time. He shook his head in disbelief. His eyes caught the glimpse of the dagger, which the man still was clutching.  He took it and left it on a nightstand, spared a last glance to the wounded man… and turned around to get to work.</p><p>  His room was not the biggest in the castle, but it was wide enough for it to have clearly differentiated areas. In the resting area, his king-sized bed was flanked by two nightstands. Very subtle placed doors flanked both, leading to small adjacent quarters. A big picture window that went from floor to ceiling opened at the right of the bed, the glass shining in a myriad of colors due to the scenery forged into it, showing scenes of miracles.</p><p>  He walked away from the bed to what he considered his lab. His worktable, a big surface set in an L -shape, run by two of the walls of the room, occupying half of the chamber. The walls were covered in wooden shelves of different sizes, and at the ends of the table the surface met two high bookshelves.</p><p>  And everything was covered in plants, labeled containers and magical trinkets of every color.</p><p>  His brother Michael would have considered his workspace crowded and eclectic, but he liked having everything at hand- and he had a system. Every ingredient container was labeled, every bundle of herbs placed in their correct place depending on its use and name. A rack only contained glass jars with glowing, floating little lights of different colors; the next one had ingredients of animal origin neatly stacked with labels scribbled on the wooden little boxes that held them. A mess of textures, smells and colors. But it was <em>his</em> mess. And that was his element.</p><p>  He approached with business-like manners to the center of it, the proper workspace, and stared into the mid-distance to organize his thoughts. He needed a healing elixir. Something not magically charged, something that helped him heal without corrupting him. But not too slow, or he wouldn’t make it. Not too strong. Not too weak. Calculus started forming in his mind, until he nodded and got to work.</p><p>  Swift fingers started flying over the shelves; taking a branch from one bundle, a flower from another one, opening a jar and taking a piece of bone- or no, a feather would make the mix lighter. He deposited every item in a marble mortar- which he was so happy he had left clean before he left- and started crushing with practiced movements. He was so used to the motion that he kept it without thinking, his mind wandering elsewhere.</p><p>  Why would that hunter have gone to the forest? And tackled a whole nest of woodland fiends? The man must be insane. He raised his eyes for a second. He could be insane. Could he? Had he taken a madman into his house?</p><p>  He looked back at him over his shoulder. His breathing was steadier, but nothing like healthy. The beasts had damaged some of his ribs, he remembered. He thought of bone regeneration for a second, and left the mortar to get to a distant shelf that contained mineral ingredients to grab a pinch of limestone.</p><p>  He already had two burners with bubbling substances at the far end of the table. He took a third and lit it with a snap of his fingers, then put a glass container over it and poured the crushed powder inside. He took one of the bottles that rested next to the wall and poured light green liquid while in a practiced move, he kept his face away, not even surprised by the small puff of smoke that rose as the fluid came in contact with the ingredients. The mix started to bubble soon, and he adjusted the flame so that the boiling was low and constant.</p><p>  He was thinking about the next steps. Bandaging. Cleaning the wounds first, for God´s sake- he was covered in <em>mud</em>. Disinfecting. Something to dull the pain would help him rest. He frowned thinking that if the hunter was violent or did not attend to reason, he would have to sedate him. He did <em>not</em> want to be punched again, thank you very much.</p><p>  He needed to be nursed back to health, but without more magic, it would take some time. Cas was sure he´d be able to avoid his family for the next day, at least. After all, he was returning from the Academy- he came with work to do, so they wouldn´t be surprised if he got too engrossed with his studies and didn’t leave the room. They couldn’t find out.</p><p>  As the elixir bubbled and started changing color from green to a light teal, he kneeled in front of one of the wooden chests that lay under his lab table and searched inside for a bundle of clean bandages- he set them at the foot of the bed. He went through the door at the right side of his bed, got to the smaller of the adjacent rooms, and returned with some towels and a silver basin with water that he left on a nightstand.   </p><p>  He went back to the burner and, satisfied with the color, turned the flame off and let it cool for a bit as he gathered an empty bowl. As soon as he thought no one could get burned with it, he poured the elixir into the bowl and went back to the fallen hunter.</p><p>“There…”, he murmured, sliding a hand to the back of his neck and lifting his head carefully.</p><p>  He got the bowl to his lips and tilted it very slowly. Part of the liquid fell off his mouth, but most of it he could pour between his lips.</p><p>  Halfway through the bowl, he started moving. He frowned, coughed some liquid out, and suddenly started flailing.</p><p>“Hey, hey!”, Cas exclaimed as he took the bowl away so it wouldn’t spill.</p><p>  The hunter grunted in pain, eyes fiercely shut as he scowled and covered his waist with one arm. He started thrashing, tried to sit up but let out a choked grunt of pain and laid back down, panting.</p><p>“Stop it, you´re gonna reopen…”, Cas complained, leaving the bowl in the nightstand and leaning his hands onto him.</p><p>  As Cas got close the man must have felt some kind of menace, because he pushed his hands away and even tried to hit him weakly. Cas flinched, retreated a step, but quickly realized that he couldn´t harm him being so weak. He frowned firmly and pushed his hands away. The man, still trying to open his eyes, tried to break them free, muttering curse words.</p><p>“Hey, hey, stop, stop!”, said Cas as he took his face between his hands so his head stopped lashing to one side and the other, “Look at me!”</p><p>  He blinked several times… until he rose squinted eyes to him.</p><p> “There”, Cas smiled at him, “You´re okay. You´re safe. You´re gonna be…”</p><p>  But he trailed off… his eyes locked onto the hunter´s.</p><p>  Between the dark blood, the mud… those eyes stood out like the moon would in the darkest night. Green, brilliant jade orbs stared at him; but he noticed lighter speckles in the center, almost golden. He blinked for a second. He had never seen eyes like those.</p><p>“You are being healed”, he said after he cleared his throat. He smiled, and gave him his most reassuring, loving voice, “You´re gonna be okay”</p><p>  The hunter looked at him in confusion, but he wasn’t fighting anymore.</p><p>“…Wings?”, he rasped.</p><p>  He said it like a name, or a nickname. Cas blinked at him, surprised. He suddenly understood- he had probably seen him flying down in the forest.</p><p>“Yeah, that was me”, he answered with half a smile.</p><p>  Those tired green eyes stared at him, wavering slightly.</p><p>“A-Are you an… angel?”, he stammered with a croaky voice.</p><p>  Cas raised his eyebrows at the question, then he chuckled.</p><p>“Angels don´t exist”, he answered, amused.</p><p>  Castiel had brilliant earnest blue eyes, of the intense color the sea gets in the brightest mornings. His hair was dark brown, and it usually spiked every which way. He wore rich robes, proper to his status of a noble. He rose his head, a smile still on him.</p><p>“I´m a mage. I´m healing you. You are safe”</p><p>  The hunter looked at him some more, but then his eyes fluttered close. Cas smiled to himself, gave him the rest of the elixir, and let him sleep.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Special thanks to:<br/>- PaxMortis, my incredible beta-reader. You practically unassembled this chapter to build it again and it was SO NECESSARY. Thank you, a thousand times.<br/>- MossMan (Note), as mentioned above.<br/>- Again Pax, plus Crowley (Ginger), for helping me to come up with the title!<br/>- Harry for inspiring me and giving me the courage to publish :)<br/>I hope I´m not forgetting about anyone!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. These Scars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Road So Far: Castiel, a mage that was returning from the Academy, finds a wounded hunter in the Doomed Forest of Wyvernon. He brings him home to heal him.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>YES, as a welcoming event, I'm publishing two chapters at the same time, weeee ^^</p><p>I wanted to talk a bit about the so many tags I have xD There are so many things I want to touch and include. But I know I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable, so I will as much as I can, find ways so that people that don´t want to read something that can trigger them, can avoid it. Some parts are key for a story and can´t be avoided... but some are. For example, about transphobia, I have figured out a way to mark the part it´s mentioned so that anyone that wants to avoid it can- and still miss nothing of the plot. It happens, it is in the lore, but they don´t have to read over the specifics. The same with smut- I know people are not comfortable with it, so if it ever happens, it will be set in a separate chapter that non-smutters can easily jump without missing anything (it will have happened in the story, but they don´t have to read how it happens). Let me know if this works for you guys or if there are any other triggers I should pay attention to!</p><p> </p><p>I absolutely LOVE this chapter. I wrote it all listening to an instrumental version of Wolven Storm from Witcher 3 on a loop, just cause the lyrics of that song go: "These scars long have yearned for your tender caress..." and I could absolutely see the events depicted here as those words flowed through my mind. Feel free to read it as it sounds, too (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j-065rVSGo). Someday, when I feel like it, Ill record myself describing the scene with the music; or maybe include a recording of me singing Wolven Storm- cause I just simply love that song ^^</p><p> </p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Castiel took a deep breath, trying to calm his irritation and nerves. He felt stupid and annoyed. He was a professional, dammit. A healer, a doctor- and anatomy was just anatomy. But he could not help but feel uncomfortable.</p><p>  He hadn ́t really stopped to think about what was coming, as he had started to remove the unconscious hunter ́s clothes. He had been simply too annoyed at how much more difficult than expected the task was. Why would anyone need so many buckles, and so many different parts stacked onto another? The man was heavy, too; moving him around to remove armor parts and layers of clothing had become rapidly taxing.</p><p>  But then, he had sat on the cot beside him, dipped a towel in warm soapy water and started to clean his skin; softly, so he wouldn’t wake up. A careful, almost devotional task really; especially as he cleaned the edges of the wounds with the lightest touch he could manage. There was something soothing, something <em>right</em>, in revealing the skin that lay beneath the crusts of mud and blood. As if, in a way, he was setting everything as it should be.</p><p>  Night had fallen, bringing the chill of the last remnants of autumn, so he had lit up the fireplace beside his desk in his study area. The soft crackling of the fire always calmed him, and it was all he heard as he passed the cloth over a slightly stubbled, scratch- covered jaw. He returned the towel to the basin, and when he squeezed it under the lukewarm water, dirt drew swirly dark clouds against the silvery background. Crystalline droplets joined the sound of fire as he retrieved the cloth.</p><p>  The chest of the hunter rose and fell peacefully, and a warm feeling had bloomed in Cas ́s heart upon realizing his breathing was more stable. Above his training, his studies and his duties- Castiel was a caretaker. He fully knew that the world needed more warriors than healers, and would continue to train to serve to the best of his capacity. But at the end of the day, this was his true essence. His patient had been dying, but now rested comfortably between warmth and care. Deep contentment filled him, as well as the slightest bit of pride to have been responsible for achieving that. Those feelings mixed with the crackling of the fire, the soft candlelight, and the weariness from the long day, and lulled him into a state of peaceful relaxation. He was home, he was safe, and everything was alright. He had saved a life. He sighed with a small smile as he continued swiping. Softly, repetitively, and relaxing.</p><p>  And slightly fascinating, he realized soon enough. Every muscle that lay behind slightly pale skin that he unveiled, he knew its name.</p><p>  His towel passed over the curve of his deltoids, which drew a defined shoulder, down to his biceps. With careful movements, he slid a hand behind his elbow to push slightly upwards and slipped the cloth below the laying man ́s left arm. He cleaned the towel again before getting to his forearm, where he knew a bite mark still remained. He had noticed it the first time he had touched the hunter ́s temple, but his abdominal wounds had been more urgent.</p><p><em>  A man with no fear of using his arm as a shield</em>, he thought as he took a bottle of herbal alcohol- his own sage and thyme mix- and poured some onto a cotton gauze. He lifted his eyes to his face as he touched the wound with the antibacterial substance, but apparently fatigue was keeping the hunter from feeling the stinging pain. He cleaned the wound gingerly, with the smallest strokes he could make. He realized the man had managed to get the bite in a way that it didn ́t hurt any major blood vessels. He found some old similar scars in the same area. Not the first time he ́d done that, then. He obviously favored his left arm for defense, to allow his right one to fight back.</p><p>  His skin spoke to Castiel as clearly as his muscles did. A long scar on the man ́s palm told him that he was disciplined or stubborn enough to have stopped a sword with his bare hand. Star-shaped marks on his knuckles drew him a picture of fistfights as he passed his towel around each finger, one at a time. With his injured arm clean, Cas turned to his chest. He found claw marks over a well-defined pectoral that told him both about past battles, and about the strength that man had to push monsters away from him. He remembered how he had shoved away the woodland fiend. His cloth traveled down his neck and shoulder, developed enough so that he would have no problem climbing, or lifting things over his head. In his mind, Cas saw him raise his longsword in the air for a finishing blow. The hunter did not bulge with overdeveloped muscles, but was lean like a runner, like a climber, a jumper- made to thrive in nature, and obviously built for a fight.</p><p>  A small swirl of black veins covered the skin beneath which his heart beat steadily. Cas frowned in slight worry, relieved that he had not used another spell to heal him, which would have made the Corruption worse. Since there was nothing he could do about it, he just sighed at its sight and moved on. With all the care in the world, he caressed lightly over the wounds on his stomach. The long slashes were bleeding very slightly, the cuts almost closed thanks to the elixir. Cas clenched his jaw as he tried to get mud out of a wound, knowing how tender the damaged skin and exposed muscle were. He felt the hunter stir, and he instantly put his left hand over his chest in a reassuring gesture as he hushed. The hunter sighed in his sleep... and stilled.</p><p>  The mage poured more alcohol on the slashes, and caught a rivulet that ran through his midsection towards the bed with a movement that cleaned his waist and part of his hip. His pants were still on, since his magical injury assessment had revealed to him that he was only hurt on his upper body. He wiped the excess alcohol from the wounds in cautious little taps, his breath held, trying so hard not to disturb his rest. When he finished, he let it out in a satisfied sigh as he made a small smile, looking up at the face of his peacefully sleeping patient.</p><p>  But then something caught his eye. He tilted his head slightly to one side and took his cloth to the right part of his chest... where, close to the clavicle, a drawing was barely visible. A careful caress cleaned one of the last of smudges and revealed... a tattoo.</p><p>  His eyes widened so slightly, his curiosity peaking. Muscles and scars had told him so much about that man... and suddenly, a mystery. It looked... like a sigil of some kind. His mind raced as his heart pounded with excitement upon the challenge, reviewing the little knowledge on arcane symbols that he had. Distracted, he left the cloth on the bed. And; as his face drew closer to try and solve the riddle better; his now uncovered hand closed in, ever so slowly, to finally lay its fingers on the inked skin.</p><p>  And then Castiel had frozen.</p><p>  He had realized that he was looming over an unconscious, half-naked man.</p><p>  That he was touching his chest in an almost hypnotized fascination.</p><p>  And he had jumped from the bed and gotten two steps away, almost tripping in his trepidation, while color rose to heat his cheeks.</p><p>  Now, he was chiding himself, guilt sinking deeply in his stomach. He had spent the last... he didn ́t know how long, passing a towel against that skin, analyzing every inch as if it had been a case study from the Academy. Not an it- <em>him</em>. A <em>person</em>. A <em>man</em>. And then he ́d started poking his tattoo.</p><p><em>That has to be the creepiest thing I ́ve ever done</em>, he thought closing his eyes.</p><p>  There had been nothing sexual about it, really. It was just... amazing how much medicine could tell you about someone. It surely had felt like a theory exercise from his teachers. He also truly felt <em>joy </em>upon helping another fellow human being; satisfied and proud like with nothing else. He felt grateful he had had the chance, and time enough, to save him. It had felt <em>right </em>to care for his wounds and clean his skin. And... anyone with eyes would have to admit that that was a beautiful specimen of a human being.</p><p>  He shook his head, shame climbing up his neck to make his ears buzz. If he had woken up at that moment, it would have been <em>so </em>awkward. He was sure the hunter, or anyone at all really, would have <em>not </em>appreciated waking up with him being so close.</p><p>  He took a deep breath. This was not the first person he healed, but it had not been necessary to remove that much clothing in other cases. He thought of how much chastity was reinforced upon nobility; how his own clothes tugged at his neck, wrists and ankles, leaving so little to be seen. He was aware that the last time he had seen so much skin together had been when he had been very little, amongst his male brothers. He thought of his teenage years, clenching his jaw and gulping slightly.</p><p>  Castiel knew perfectly well what was happening to him. He fully understood it, found it logical; and if he stopped to think about it for a second, he knew that it was bound to happen someday.</p><p>  That did not mean he liked it. He felt irritated, stupidly nervous, and not professional at all.<br/><em>Get a grip, Castiel</em>, he chided himself, <em>If you are going to be a war doctor, this is not the first muscular chest you ́re gonna see. Behave like a damned professional and leave the detective-doctor games for the practice corpses of the Academy. </em></p><p>  He took a deep breath and, with tense movements, went to finish cleaning his other arm. He shot a glance at the hunter ́s face. He was still sound asleep. He mentally thanked God for that while an intense wish that the earth opened up to swallow him tugged insistently at his guts. Cas closed his eyes in an effort to compose himself and continue.</p><p>  When he was done with the arm, he looked up again. It was a bit silly not to clean his face too. He begged mentally that he wouldn ́t wake up just then, as he took grime and blood from his forehead. As he finished, he let out a breath he hadn ́t realized he ́d been holding, and left the towel and basin on the floor.</p><p>  Less nervous at last, his mind on the task again, he went to take some bottles from his worktable, and the bundle of bandages from the foot of the bed. He walked to sit beside his head, and slid careful hands behind his shoulders... to start lifting him up. He slipped beneath him as soon as he could and pushed his back with his shoulder to lift him more, enough for him to have some space to wrap bandages all around his midsection.</p><p>  As his abdominal muscles strained, he felt the hunter tense and a grunt of pain escaped him. Castiel forgot everything as he put a reassuring hand on his chest again, while his other hand flew to one of the bottles in the nightstand and poured some liquid over his wounds.</p><p>“Shh, it ́s okay, it ́s okay”, he murmured as his hand patted calmingly.</p><p>  The warrior let a strained breath escape, but the anesthetic worked fast. A moment later he let out a slow sigh, as his chest and shoulders melted into relaxation again, his head lolling to one side onto Castiel ́s shoulder.</p><p>  The mage couldn ́t help to smile fondly. The hunter lay on his chest as he held his weight; an arm surrounding him, a protective feeling spiking on him. He was a doctor, after all. He couldn’t help but care about his patients. Maybe he had gotten too close because of that tattoo, but he had done nothing inappropriate. And surely there was nothing wrong in feeling happy about taking care of another in such a pure way. He took the bandages and swiftly covered the clean, disinfected, anesthetized and almost closed wounds in a tight embrace. When he carefully deposited his body back on the mattress, he retreated slowly, hands up. The hunter did not stir again. A few moments later he had bandaged the bit arm too, and watched for a second the final result with satisfaction.</p><p>  The hunter was mostly clean- as clean as one partly wiped could be-, his wounds treated, and he was profoundly asleep. Castiel took the sheets and covered him with them, a proud smile to his lips, considering his task finished for the moment.</p><p>  Then he turned away and stretched, making his neck crack. He sighed, tired. He had had a trying day at the High Academy of Magic, with combat practice as well as precision training. Then the flight back home, and the teleporting. The repetitive movements and the warm, crackling fire had made him drowsy... but it was clear he wouldn´t be going to bed anytime soon. He intended to check on the hunter ́s state at least every hour, every two if everything looked good after a while. So he allowed himself a single yawn before directing his steps to his desk.</p><p>  After all, he had come from the Academy with work to do.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay”, he murmured, “Research time”</p><p> He sat at his desk and rummaged inside his traveling bag, that he ́d left on the ground there. He winced as he took the crystal jar with deadly nightshade blooms, all withered away due to the teleporting. He left it inside a small bin beside his chair and kept taking things out of the bag. Soon enough his desk was filled with parchment documents from the Great Library, as well as his own stack of notes. He took a quill, some ink, shot a glance to the wall clock that ticked calmly beside his room door; and his mind dove into years of investigation, his eyes roaming over different texts.</p><p>  Heaven ́s War, he read. As always, his mind flew for a moment towards his father upon the mention of the almost twenty-year-old confrontation. As always, he saw flashes of violence on his childhood memories as he read about The Darkness. He felt a chill to his spine as he took the document on The Four Spells of Crowley. But he was used to it. Life had been that way, and memories did not hit him as hard as when he was a child. A flash usually came to him when he had not thought or read words like <em>Plague </em>or <em>Darkness </em>in a long while, but it rapidly left him without pain or scarring. Everyone in the kingdom had suffered the disasters. Everyone had had to learn their own way to cope, to accept what had happened, and move on.</p><p>  Castiel loved research. He truly enjoyed getting little pieces of truth from where no one else had found them before, and puzzling them together into coherence. He had however gotten to a point where it had become a grinding task. He had gone over every useful document long ago, and now he had resorted to the ones that <em>might </em>be useful or not, in search of any scrap of information anyone could have missed. Excluding the scholars whose work he was already familiar with, few people had stopped to take many notes during the Plagues, and the recollection of past events was often contaminated by the subjective experiences of the writers. He set aside yet another useless journal with a little sigh. His personal notes lay patiently to his right.</p><p><em>  The Corruption is the main cause of death in mages, and a major impediment in the management of troops in the borders of the kingdom, </em>he read yet once again as his eyes roamed over the introduction of his research, <em>It has also been known to affect commoners that received intense magical medical treatment. For as much as magic facilitates our lives, The Corruption halts all of it unavoidably at a certain point. Those affected by it can recover, if it has not spread enough yet. However, there is no coming back after Falling to its embrace. In all the history of our kingdom, there is absolutely no knowledge of a working cure. </em></p><p><em>For now</em>, Cas thought for the millionth time.</p><p>  Castiel had not been the first mage to find some similarities between The Corruption,</p><p>  The Darkness and the War Plague- but he had indeed been the first one to find a text on something called the Croatoan virus. He had linked all affections and proposed a common origin... and had stated that a thorough research on it all could result on a cure for the gravest problem the Kingdom of Heaven faced.</p><p>  His teachers had looked at him as if he was a conspiracy theorist at the beginning of his exposition. However, they had expressed their fascination on the subject upon the ending of his explanations... and had allowed him full access to the Great Library. If a cure for the Corruption was found... it would change life, for everyone, in the whole kingdom.</p><p>  And Castiel was set on finding that cure.</p><p>  He run a hand through his hair as he lowered his head, eyes firmly shut. The information was so scarce. He was tired. His brain felt like a sponge. He just had to find a link, a way so that it all made sense... He took a deep breath, looking up again, relentlessly taking the next probably useless text.</p><p>  So he was so absorbed in his work that he did not realize how long he´d been studying until it was too late.</p><p>  At some point he had taken a hand to the bridge of his nose, scrunched his fingers over his tired eyes and glanced aside- to see that the clock revealed him it had been a bit more than two hours.</p><p>“Dammit”, he murmured, sitting up and stretching a bit.</p><p>  He usually was not very good at focusing on several things at once, but life demanded him to. He sighed and went back to the resting hunter, set a hand on his shoulder as he took the sheet to uncover him to make a quick check.</p><p>  But he froze in place, frowning. He looked at his hand on him, alarm rising inside. He placed his hand more firmly. He took the back of it to his neck, placed its palm on his forehead.</p><p>  He had a fever.</p><p>“Dammit”, he repeated, frustrated.</p><p>  He took two fingers to the man ́s temple, eyes closed, to confirm what he already suspected: there was an infection. <em>Why?</em>, he thought as he opened them, irritation rising inside him. He had cleaned his wounds, the elixir was made with different kinds of antibacterial ingredients. Any superficial germs should have been taken care of...</p><p>  An idea latched on his mind, and he looked down on the bite on his arm, glaring at the bandaged wound in a <em>oh, damn you </em>kind of expression. He took a little bottle from one of the drawers below his worktable, before kneeling beside the bed and removing part of the bandages on his forearm. He unscrewed the dark crystal little bottle, revealing that it had a dropper attached to its cap. Castiel applied two drops to the partially visible bite mark and waited for some seconds. He swore internally as he watched the dark bubbles appear. When he pressed with firm fingers along both sides of the wound, a dark fluid swelled, dropping a black tear as it fell out.</p><p><em>Venom</em>, Cas thought as he huffed in frustration.</p><p>“The hell... are you doing...?”, rasped a voice.</p><p>  Cas looked up sharply... to find two green orbs watching him.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello”, Cas finally said.</p><p>  He had frozen for a second, surprised, their eyes locking upon each other, his hand still on the man ́s arm; until he had spoken.</p><p>“I am a healer. I´m taking care of your wounds. You don´t need to worry”</p><p>  The obviously exhausted hunter looked at him for a second more; then his eyes roamed around the room in confusion, to later glance back at his black-ooze leaking wound with a frown.</p><p>“That just means that there ́s venom on your system”, said Castiel, wiping the black tear away with a gauze and replacing the bandages in swift movements, “Don ́t worry. I will give you an antidote soon”</p><p>  The man looked back at Cas.</p><p>“Why?”, he asked a second later.</p><p>“Because... without an antidote you will probably die?”, he answered slowly as he got to his feet. He probably wasn ́t fully awake yet.</p><p>“No”, the man rasped, “Why are you healing me?”</p><p>  Castiel blinked at him in confusion for a second.</p><p>“Because you needed healing”, he said back, with a tone that implied how obvious it was to him.</p><p>  The warrior blinked at Cas as he walked to the worktable, then looked down to himself and put a hand to the bandages that covered his abdomen.</p><p>“Who are you?”, he asked looking back at the mage.</p><p>  Cas returned with a glass of water and tended it to him with a smile.</p><p>“My name is Castiel. Here. Drink a bit if you can”</p><p>  The hunter propped up on his elbow and took the glass, but looked at him suspiciously for a second.</p><p>“If I intended you any harm, you wouldn ́t be bandaged”, Cas said with half a smile.</p><p>  He seemed to consider the assessment and he then took two long swallows of water. Cas extended his hand to get the glass back and left it on the closest nightstand.</p><p>“I ́m Dean”, the hunter said, his voice clearer, “Dean Winchester”</p><p>  Castiel nodded, but did not give his full name.</p><p>“Nice to meet you, Dean”, he said smiling more with his eyes than his lips, “How are you feeling?”</p><p>“I ́m... beat”, he said, starting to lay back again, “Bit dizzy. Mouth tastes like... herbs”, he groaned as he sank into the pillow.</p><p>“That’s perfectly normal”, Castiel said with a tiny smile, “Everyone says I use too much rosemary. But I like the taste, and it heals practically everything”</p><p>  Dean frowned at him, as if he had no idea what the hell he was talking about.</p><p>“What ́s the last thing you remember, Dean?”, asked Cas, sitting on the mattress beside him.</p><p>“I...”</p><p>  Dean blinked tiredly, thinking... then his orbs wandered in different directions, connecting dots, and looked up in alarm.</p><p>“The forest”, he whispered.</p><p>“Yeah”</p><p>“I have to...”, Dean said, sitting up.</p><p>“Hey, wait! What do you think you are doing?”</p><p>“I have to go”, he grunted, swinging his legs over the side of the bed with a pained wince, but looked up at Cas as he put a firm hand on his chest.</p><p>“You can ́t go anywhere”, Castiel chided, “They may not hurt because of the treatment, but your wounds are still not closed; and if you move, you will reopen what has already been healed”</p><p>“I have to go back to that forest”, he said stubbornly, as if that invalidated everything Cas had said.</p><p>“You can ́t”, he insisted, “It ́s the middle of the night. It ́s very dangerous during the day, but by night it ́s just suicide”</p><p>“My brother ́s there”</p><p>  Cas blinked in surprise.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Sammy”, he rasped, worry making his demeanor even more fatigued, “He left on a hunting trip... and I haven ́t heard of him in a few days”</p><p>  Castiel hoped the horror that was creeping inside him did not show on his face.</p><p>“How long is <em>a few days</em>?”</p><p>“Almost a week”</p><p>  The dismay Cas felt must have shown, because Dean muttered a curse and pushed firmly Cas away to rise to his feet.</p><p>“Dean, wait”, Cas ordered as he rose too, “You can ́t help anyone like this. Your brother, wherever he is, is probably better than you are right now. He ́d be the one helping you”</p><p>  He honestly believed that if someone had been lost in those woods for a week, he was dead and long eaten by now... but he was not going to tell that to his nervous patient.</p><p>“You don ́t know that”, Dean snapped back as he reached forward towards his discarded clothes, bloodied and rumpled on the floor.</p><p>  Castiel moved laterally to stand in his way. The injured man was panting already.</p><p>“You have lost a lot of blood. Not three hours ago you were dying on the forest floor. And again, you still need an antidote. You can ́t help anyone like this”</p><p>  Dean locked eyes with his, breathing heavily, a little tremble to his legs. Cas took him gently by the shoulders, not really sure if he was kinda pushing his luck by physically impeding a confused and possibly violent stranger; and pushed back slowly but firmly, adding increasingly more force.</p><p>“Sit. Back”, he ordered firmly as he did.</p><p>  Dean sat after a second of slight struggle, and he closed his eyes as he panted for a second. Probably dizzy, Cas deduced. He had lost a lot of fluids, and had stood up too quickly.<br/>“You need to sleep, and replenish your strength. Please, will you not reopen your wounds and waste all the work I did on you?”, the mage said raising his eyebrows, looking pointedly at him as if he were a child.</p><p>  Dean opened his eyes and looked at him, hesitating a bit at that, a hand to his bandages. Cas tried to push him to the mattress by pressing gently on his chest. He looked away, but still did not lie back.</p><p>“I promise, you will feel better in the morning. Then we will reassess the situation. I ́ll see what I can do to help you find your brother, okay?”, said in a firm, caring voice, “Maybe I can make you some potions, or find something that helps you move quicker”</p><p>  Dean looked at him surprised.</p><p>“Why, man?”, he asked frowning, “Why would you?”</p><p>  Cas thought of his father for a second before smiling.</p><p>“Because it ́s the right thing to do. When I needed help, I got it. I can be the one helping this time. But not if you don’t help me now. Resting. Please”</p><p>  Dean huffed and looked away in obvious frustration, but finally yielded, letting Cas push him back to bed.</p><p>“Thank you”, said the mage inclining his head.</p><p>“Thank <em>you</em>, dammit”, Dean sighed, tiredly, closing his eyes, “For the... bandages and stuff”</p><p>“You ́re welcome. Dean... do you remember what bit your arm?”</p><p>  The hunter opened his eyes and looked at his arm, bewildered.</p><p>“Uh... One of the... things you found me fighting”</p><p>“Okay. Understood. Get some sleep. You will feel better in the morning”</p><p>  Dean fluttered his eyes closed, his breathing slowed, and Cas was almost sure he had already drifted back to sleep. But then he blinked them open and searched for him.</p><p>“Hey...”</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>“Thank you, man. Like... really”, he rasped weakly.</p><p>“It ́s okay, Dean”, Castiel smiled at him, “Try to get some rest”</p><p>  The hunter closed his eyes again with a sigh, and in moments his breathing became deeper and slower. Cas took a deep breath that he let go in a sigh... crisis averted. Then he looked over his shoulder to his notes... and calmly walked to them to start organizing them in some nearby shelves.</p><p>  He had to research for woodland fiend venom antidotes. His investigation would have to wait.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Special thanks to:<br/>- Pax for beta reading &lt;3<br/>- MossMan (Note) for all the support and inspiration<br/>- iShip for all her wonderful knowledge about healing plants. Cas´s alchemy skills would suck without you xD</p><p>How´s it looking so far? Which part did you like the best? Tune in next week for Chapter 3, Who You Truly Are! See you in the comment section!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Who You Truly Are</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Road So Far:<br/>Castiel, noble, healer and mage; found a hunter bleeding to death in the Forest of Wyvernon. He was bleeding to death, and the creature that bit him poisoned him, so Cas took him home to nurse him back to health. The hunter woke momentarily, told him his name, and said that him his brother Sam has been missing on a hunt for some days. Though Dean tried to leave right away, Castiel was able to convince him that he was too hurt to help anybody- if barely.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Heyooooo! ^^ It´s SUNDAY, and that means it´s POSTING DAY!!! (Which I had totally forgotten, so that´s why this is coming out so late, lol...). Thanks all for the comments and kudos ^^ Im so glad you like it!!!</p><p>I´ve come up with a little game :) Here we start to see some "known destiel scenes" (the ones that appear in every video compilation? xD) from the show peppered in the story. They are there just for laughs, little easter eggs xD But if someone is willing to play along, here it is: if someone posts in the comments whats the scene in here that comes from the show and drops an email, I will send a little sneak-peek into the next chapter ^^ I don´t know if that´s silly, it probably is, but I thought it could be funny lol.</p><p>This chapter was written to a looped Mystery Extended song from The Witcher, and can be read listening to it very nicely (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D0WWvoe8EE&amp;t=369s). I swear not all songs will be from The Witcher, but I gotta say, many are very fitting xD </p><p>This was a very difficult chapter to write- I had to do 4 rewrites, lol! But I´m happy with the result. Hope you like it! Some light worldbuilding in this one, let´s discover the world a little bit! ^^</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  The fire had died down to embers. Dawn was a subtle promise on the horizon, so the room was still plagued with lit candles. The smell of woodsmoke competed with the concentrated herbal essences coming out from the still bubbling potions being prepared on the lab table. Castiel took the potions from the burners, placed them at the end of the table to let them rest- they had simmered long enough. He then covered the little flames of fire from the burners with a metal cap to extinguish them.</p><p>  The new recipe lay beside his hand, on the wooden table, and a bunch of ingredients had been set neatly across the surface. Everything he needed… except for one key element.</p><p>  The mage took his traveling bag, but turned for a second to look at the bed. He let a little sigh escape before getting closer and putting a hand to Dean´s shoulder.</p><p>“Hey… Dean?”</p><p>  The hunter jolted with a sudden inhalation, and even before his eyes were open his fists were raised in a sloppy guard.</p><p>“It´s okay, it´s okay”, Cas said quickly, retreating a step. </p><p>  Dean blinked owlishly for a moment, looking around until his eyes got to Cas.</p><p>“Ah”, he said, lowering his arms and squinting his eyes in the mage´s direction, “Uuh…”</p><p>“It´s Castiel”</p><p>“I knew that”, he grunted.</p><p>“Sure”, Cas said without malice, advancing the step he had retreated, “How are you feeling?”</p><p>  Dean blinked at him, his breathing a bit heavy, slight frown on his face. He sat up and moved slowly to lay his back on the headboard.</p><p>“Mm…”, he muttered, “Tired. But better, I guess”</p><p>“Allow me”</p><p>  Castiel sat on the bed and, to Dean´s surprise, he opened one of his eyes to peek into it, then the other.</p><p>“Stick out your tongue”</p><p>“Wha…?”, he protested as Cas took him from the jaw to look at his open mouth, “Are we done?”, he said when he released it.</p><p>“Let me check your temperature”, he said, raising a hand.</p><p>“No, that´s… ”, he said fast as he slapped away his hand, eyebrows rose in alarm, “not gonna happen”</p><p>  Cas tilted his head to the side, glaring slightly in an annoyed expression, and firmly raised his hand again to put its palm over Dean´s forehead.</p><p>“Ah. I thought you meant in… another way”, Dean murmured looking up, making him snort slightly.</p><p>  Castiel sent his awareness through his hand into Dean´s lifeforce stream. He had realized over the night that it was probably best if Dean did not know he could do magic, so he veiled his actions with the physical exploration.</p><p>“Does this hurt?”, Cas said as he lowered his hand to put in over his belly, applying gentle pressure on the bandages.</p><p>“Uh… no”</p><p>  The mage nodded to himself, as if reaching to a conclusion, though he had already sensed that the wounds were better, enough for the anesthetic to completely dull the pain.</p><p>“Good. Okay, Dean. Right now, you are recuperating from all the blood loss you suffered yesterday”, Cas explained in a patient voice, “That´s why you feel tired. We will fix that by resting and drinking lots of fluids. Also, your body is fighting the venom in your blood the best way it can- by raising your temperature. That battle inside you keeps you weak, and feeling sick. The elixir I gave you was a bit unspecific; so aside from acting on your wounds, that are almost closed; it helped a bit against the venom too. I have prepared more over the night, I will administer it to you soon”</p><p>  Dean was looking at him, puzzled. He nodded as Cas paused.</p><p>“But the best way to eliminate it from your system is an antidote. So I have to go for a moment”, he continued as he smiled softly.</p><p>“Where you off to?”, asked the hunter.</p><p>“The recipe I´ve found needs some ingredients that I have, like ginger and nasturtium seeds”, he explained, trying for a relaxed smile to seem professional, “But apparently, a key ingredient of the woodland fiend antivenom is the venom itself. Found in the fangs of the creatures”, Cas took an instrument from the bag that was hanging from his shoulder- a pair of big silver pliers, that he showed to Dean with a little wiggle, “So I have to go back to the forest for a second to get some”</p><p>“Oh”, Dean blinked at him for a second, “You are going to the forest”</p><p>“Yes, but very briefly. In and out, maybe five minutes”</p><p>“Can I…?”, the hunter started asking, but then his eyes lowered as he thought.</p><p>“No, Dean”, Cas gave him a sad smile, “You are in no condition to come with. Yet”</p><p>  The man licked his lips briefly before biting his lower one, still looking down, controlled anger on his features. Cas knew he realized that he was not able to do much for now.</p><p>“When?”, he asked crisply, eyes away.</p><p>“Soon, I promise”, the mage answered vaguely.</p><p>  He did not trust the hunter to be patient enough to wait, so he did not dare tell him he would still need a full night of sleep or two. He would have to find the way to keep him there as long as he was able, stalling as long as necessary.</p><p>  Dean looked up to frown at him, obviously not liking the answer. The anger had brought a stronger glint into his eyes, as if he was suddenly more awake. He glanced aside in frustration, and for a moment his eyes passed over the lab table… and a slight frown changed his ensemble. Interest peaked in his green orbs, anger forgotten.</p><p>  Cas suddenly started to feel very uncomfortable, a worry nagging at him. If he was lucid and alert, he could start making questions… and drawing conclusions. </p><p>“Is there anything that you need right now?”, he asked immediately.  </p><p>“Mm… Nope”, Dean answered distractedly, his eyes more on the room than on Cas- he looked at the nightstand for a second, with his dagger and the glass of water.</p><p>“Then I´ll take my leave”, Cas smiled quickly for a second, “In the meantime, please; don´t make noise, and don’t leave the room”</p><p>  He saw Dean glimpsing at the door at that.</p><p>“And <em>please</em> don’t touch anything”, he continued, making a gesture to his lab table, “For your own good… It won´t be long, just however long it takes me to get the tooth and teleport back”</p><p>  And he stood up and walked briskly to the wall near his study desk. Between it and the door that led to the outside of the room, a blue crystal was fused into a silver base, the metal holding it like a claw. Cas had it there as a destination point for any bluestones he used. This way, he could always come back home.</p><p>“Hey, Castiel, hold up”, he heard behind him, “Just one thing, before you go”</p><p>  The mage stopped and looked back.</p><p>“Yes, Dean?”</p><p>“Dude… where are we?”</p><p>  Castiel blinked, surprised.</p><p>“Ah… my home”, he blabbered.</p><p>“Then, who are you?”, asked Dean.</p><p>  Cas took a slow breath as he frowned slightly, tensing.</p><p>“I told you. Castiel. A healer”, he said vaguely.</p><p>  Dean let out a small laugh.</p><p>“Yeah, you did…”, Dean chuckled.</p><p>  The hunter bent a knee and rested an elbow on it, his other hand on the pillow, turning his body towards Cas. His chest was still bare, half-covered in bandages. The posture looked good on him, and he seemed to be aware of it and comfortable about it. Despite his obvious general discomfort, he managed to seem relaxed. He gave the mage a nonchalant smile.</p><p>“But really, man… We both know this is not the home of a regular healer”</p><p>  Oh, no. Cas tensed.</p><p>“Like, dude”, the hunter´s smile was short of charming as he looked around, “The high ceiling, the huge room… Come on! That”, he said pointing at the glass of water on the nightstand, “is the clearest glass I´ve ever seen. That´s silver, for crying out loud”, he said pointing at the basin with dark water that was left on the floor, “And that…”</p><p>  Dean gestured in the general direction of the lab; the oak workspace, the trinkets, the colorful containers, and brass lab equipment.</p><p>“Man, I can´t even <em>imagine</em> how much all of that costs”, he said with a chuckle. </p><p>  Castiel looked away. It was true that magical ingredients and equipment were amongst the most expensive items anyone could find.</p><p>“This is nicer than any house I´ve ever been- damn, that I´ve ever <em>seen</em>, even from the outside!”, Dean declared in an amazed tone.</p><p>“I… do remarkably well on my finances”, Cas mumbled.</p><p>  The man looked at him with an amused expression. Cas suppressed an urge to gulp. He was <em>not</em> a good liar, and he knew it.</p><p>“Why do you ask?”, the mage asked, hoping to not sound defensive.</p><p>“It´s nothing, man, I´m just curious. Don´t sweat it”, chuckled Dean as he reached for the glass of water.</p><p>  Relieved, Cas started to turn back again, but a clanging sound made him look back. As Dean had taken the glass, he had somehow made the dagger fall to the floor. The hunter frowned at it, left the glass on the nightstand, and reached down to retrieve it; but made a pained sound as he winced and aborted the attempt, taking a hand to his bandaged midsection.</p><p>“Dammit”, he grunted, and shot a look at Cas.</p><p>“Let me get that for you”, Castiel said shaking his head, walking back to the bed.</p><p>  He took one, two steps, bent down to extend a hand. But then stopped, dagger at his feet.</p><p>  His wounds weren´t hurting a second ago...</p><p>  It was an act. He had dropped it on purpose.</p><p>  As he froze in place and slowly rose his glance towards Dean, he watched the hunter´s façade dissolve. His pained slight wince faded, his falsely innocent eyes got hard and intense. Cas realized that the way he had turned in the bed, had left him in a posture from which he could jump forward at any second. Castiel was stupidly close to him, in a lower position; and as they stared at each other, the mage felt for a moment in the presence of a dangerous animal, tense as a coil and ready to strike.</p><p>  The moment broke when he took the dagger from the floor.</p><p>  As fast as the menace had come to the hunter´s features, surprise arrived, as he blinked several times. The mage straightened while, for further demonstration, touched the back of his left hand with the pure silver blade of the weapon- which was, by the way, still smudged with dried blood.</p><p>“Do I pass the test?”, he deadpanned unamused, glaring at the hunter.  </p><p>  There was a beat in the room, during which, the tension gathered on Dean´s shoulders loosened.</p><p>“Yeah, I guess you do”, he murmured finally.</p><p>  His voice did not sound forcefully cheered now, and his charming smile was gone. He stared at Cas, calculating, as if he was trying to figure him out. Castiel´s heart pounded uncomfortably, unsettled by the moment of true menace.</p><p>“I can´t believe it. You thought I was a monster?”, he said, sounding mildly insulted.</p><p>“Dude, you have <em>no idea</em> how many things can look human”, the hunter answered with a cynical expression.</p><p>“I actually do”, answered the mage, leaving the dagger on the nightstand again, “You were willing to attack me”, he said in an accusatory tone, frowning.</p><p>“Hell, when you stopped like that…”, he snorted, “I thought you realized it was silver and that your cover was blown. Jeez, don´t do that, man”, Dean said, shaking his head.</p><p>  Castiel glared at Dean for a moment more.</p><p>“Honestly, Dean. I´ve brought you into my home and healed you”</p><p>“Yes, you have”, nodded Dean, “And that´s awesome, man. But this place, it makes no sense”, he looked around pointedly, “Someone saves me and takes me to the most luxurious room I could imagine? Heals me, promises to help me find my brother? Too good to be true. There´s gotta be a catch”</p><p>“There´s… no catch, Dean”, murmured Cas, “I just… found you in the forest and brought you to heal you”</p><p>“I´m like… seventy-percent sure that’s true, now”, he said with a grimace. Then he opened his arms in a shrug, “Hey, maybe you´re right. Maybe you are just a great dude that saves chicks in distress”</p><p>  He turned very serious eyes to him.</p><p>“Or… maybe you´re just some <em>thing</em> that wants to eat me in better condition. Or you´re waiting till I´m okay to cook my organs into a potion”</p><p>“Dean!”</p><p>“Just saying, man”, Dean shook his head, relentless, “In my line of business, you can´t go around trusting strangers. And I´m sorry, dude, but you´re sketchy. It´s very clear that you wanna hide your identity from me, and where we are. You are elusive as <em>shit</em> about when I´m gonna leave. You´re going now to who-knows-where, maybe to bring some buddies, I don’t know. You expect me to wait here like a sitting duck. And”, he pointed at the door with the dagger, “I bet my fine ass that the door is locked… and I don’t see the key around. I don´t like it, man”</p><p>  Cas looked at him surprised. When had he taken the weapon again?</p><p>“Are you threatening me?”, he said in an incredulous tone.</p><p>“Am not”, Dean rose both hands, the one with the dagger included, in a poor attempt of a peaceful gesture, “I´m almost sure you´re human now. I just don´t understand what your angle is in all of this”</p><p>“And the dagger?”</p><p>“Call this a precaution”</p><p>“Dear Lord! Paranoid much?”</p><p>“Tis what´s kept me alive so far”, said tilting his head with a bittersweet smile, “Nothing personal”</p><p>  The mage sighed, an unbelieving frown on his face. He had not anticipated this. He had to admit that, looking at it from the hunter´s perspective, he had some reasons to be suspicious. And he understood that Dean was extending part of his trust talking to him, instead of directly stabbing him in a precautionary manner. </p><p>  Suddenly, telling him who he was felt like small potatoes. He did not want him to believe he was some kind of monster in need of slaying. Or that he would leave in mid-treatment through a vandalized window as soon as he teleported out because he did not feel safe there.  </p><p>“Okay, okay”, he said closing his eyes for a second, “Put down the weapon”</p><p>  Dean nodded amicably and left the dagger on the nightstand… hilt close to the bed, well within his reach. Cas frowned, but sighed as he sat on the chair at his desk, taking his traveling bag from his shoulder to the ground.</p><p>“It´s not such a big deal”, he grunted, “I just… don´t know you either. I took risks bringing you here. I thought that if I kept you in the dark, I could have a better handle on the situation. I honestly did not expect you to need more than some hours of therapy. That you just… would be sleepy and not bright enough to realize… things”</p><p>“Heh. So I can´t be smart aside from cute?”</p><p>“Ah…”, Cas hesitated, slightly embarrassed, “I meant I… thought you´d be mostly unconscious until I healed you. Then I´d take you back to the forest and leave you on your merry way”</p><p>“Mm-hm, that kinda makes sense…”, answered Dean.</p><p>  But the hunter continued to look pointedly at him. He obviously wanted more.</p><p>“We are… in a castle”, Cas surrendered.</p><p>“A castle?”</p><p>“A Spire”, Cas clarified.</p><p>  The hunter looked at him as if he didn´t understand…</p><p>“A Spire”, Dean repeated incredulously, then his eyes widened, “Wait…”</p><p>  Cas cleared his throat.</p><p>“We are in the Spire of the Mighty, in the region of Azula. I am… Castiel of the House of the Mighty”</p><p> </p><p>  Dean looked at him wide-eyed, mouth agape.</p><p>“House of the… As in one of the four Houses that control the fucking kingdom?”, Dean asked slowly.</p><p>“We don’t… control the kingdom”, Cas answered, moving uncomfortable, “The King does”</p><p>“Holy crap”, swore Dean, looking him up and down as if it was the first time he saw him.</p><p>  Cas pressed his lips, uncomfortable under the scrutiny, and tried to sit a bit straighter. Maybe this was the first time Dean noticed his rich robes, all in beiges and yellows and an amber so light that it was almost golden. His pants and boots were brown, making his tunic look even brighter in comparison. Castiel did not dress pompously, he was usually comfortable with garments appropriate for any student of the Academy- but still, the fabric was probably more expensive than all of Dean´s equipment together.</p><p>“Damn”, Dean grunted, “You are a noble”</p><p>“Yes”</p><p>  Dean snorted, looking around once more.</p><p>“Of course. Should have thought of that”, his eyes stopped on the lab table, “You did say you were a mage”</p><p>  Cas grimaced. He should not have said that. He hoped Dean wouldn´t remember.</p><p>  The mage looked at the floor a second more, then raised his eyes. Dean´s gaze eventually stopped examining the room and locked on him. Green met blue, and they stared at each other, calculating.</p><p>  There was a lot of bad water under the bridge between peasants and nobles. All the political, social and economical power had a directly proportional relationship with magical power in the Kingdom of Heaven. The country was ruled by a King of tremendous magical power. Beneath him, four mage families acted as barons and controlled different regions under their care: the House of the Mighty, the House of the Righteous, the House of the Fair, and the House of the Blessed. A castle with the shape of a high tower with ample grounds, called Spire, had been built for each House; both as a home and as a center of operations. </p><p>  The House of the Mighty was the most powerful of them.</p><p>“Dude”, Dean said, “You´re <em>loaded</em>”</p><p>“Yes”, Castiel answered plainly.</p><p>“Well, that explains <em>that</em>”, Dean chuckled dryly looking at the shelves filled with exotic ingredients, then the decorated picture window, “Look at you in your ivory tower…”</p><p>  The four mage families held a big part of the fortune of the kingdom, provided by the Crown. Commoners got funds too, but in a smaller proportion; and were many times managed by the nobles that ruled over their regions. Some peasants considered the arrangement was unfair. Some nobles argued that they needed those extra funds to perform their duties of protection and management of the towns and villages under their care. Both social castes did not mix and rarely interacted, aside from the servants in the Spires- which many times, only employed slightly talented magical people. Mages stayed in their palaces, and commoners in their wooden villages.</p><p>  Dean rested his back on the headboard again, sighing deeply. Maybe he was relaxing, trusting him a bit; or maybe simply the spike of adrenaline was leaving his body and the weariness of his wounds was taking its place.</p><p>“So”, Dean made a wicked smile as he joked, “Still not super sure on the potion part”</p><p>“<em>Dean</em>”, Castiel chided, a bit offended.</p><p>“Hey, stuff they say, mages kidnapping people to experiment on them”</p><p>  Castiel pressed his lips. He was sure that Dean would not believe him if he told him that yes, sometimes bodies were used but <em>only corpses</em>. And that was only possible with all the official documents cleared by the law, that guaranteed that the body would be treated with respect and that the family had been informed and given their consent. He was convinced too that explaining that corpses were very important practice materials for healing training, or that some mages did use human parts in rituals and spells- but from donated <em>corpses</em>, not killing anyone for them- would not help at all. </p><p>“That true?”, asked Dean, cocking a curious eyebrow.</p><p>“It´s <em>not</em>”, answered Cas, annoyance adding some extra gravel to his voice.</p><p>“Okay, okay”, said Dean pacifyingly, “So, why the hell did you not want to tell…?”</p><p>  Dean stopped for a second, then scowled.</p><p>“<em>Oh</em>”, he said glaring, “You thought I would… what? Learn that you have this much money and come to steal from you? Like a <em>mudcrawler</em>?”, he added the insulting slur some nobles used to insult peasants.</p><p>“Well, you <em>did</em> point out some valuable items in the room and then took a knife”, he answered in annoyance.</p><p>  Dean blinked at that, taken by surprise, but still pissed.</p><p>  Castiel huffed in irritation. He was more than aware of what commoners usually thought about people like him, and felt it unjustified and unfair.</p><p>“Okay, <em>Castiel of the House of the Mighty…</em>”, Dean said with a little mocking tone, “What the hell am I doing here? You needed a guinea pig or something? What did you bring me here for?”</p><p>  Cas clenched his jaw, infuriated by the <em>the</em> <em>evil noble has evil plans for me</em> insinuation.</p><p>“For God´s sake, Dean, I brought you here to <em>heal you</em>”, he said, voice raised in the slightest due to his emotions, “I don´t care that you are a peasant. I knew that when I picked you up. You are not the first one I help, and will not be the last. You needed help, you still do, and I <em>am</em> a healer. I´ve cured your wounds and stayed up all night checking on you. <em>Please</em> give me the benefit of the doubt”, he declared squarely as he glared at him.</p><p>  Dean opened his mouth, then closed it and looked down, his defiance shrinking. He folded his arms as his lips pursed in a pensive way.</p><p>  Castiel used that moment to close his eyes for a second and take a deep breath. He was still his patient, getting offended would not help anyone. The unjust accusations hit him in some tender spots- after all, he was more aware than most about how many sacrifices nobility entailed. However, peasants may not be aware of that. Even if they were, he tried to understand that Dean was hurt, in an unknown place, that he was not feeling safe there; and that he probably hated being assumed poor and delinquent as much as Cas hated being considered whimsical and exploiter of the working class.</p><p>“You did, didn´t you”</p><p>  Castiel opened his eyes to look back at Dean. He had a hand on the bandages of his arm, and was looking back at him with an awkward expression.</p><p>“Tsk. Sorry, man. Maybe I was being a bit of a dick there”, he grunted.</p><p>  Cas raised his eyebrows a bit.</p><p>“Maybe”, he countered softly, half a smile on his lips.</p><p>  Dean snorted and shook his head. Then he frowned and wiggled a bit to be able to drop back into the bed again with a huff, closing his eyes for a second. Then he turned his head on the pillow to look at him… calculating.</p><p>“I´m processing”, he answered to the mage´s inquisitive look.</p><p>  Cas looked at him confused for a second.</p><p>“You´re a noble”, Dean started to say slowly, eyes slightly squinted, as if the thoughts were difficult to puzzle together, “belonging to the richest family of nobles. That so happened to pass through the forest I was being mauled on. And took me to his… bed to heal me”, finished with an incredulous tone.</p><p>“I was returning from the High Academy of Magic”, the mage explained, “I heard screams. I flew down to see what was happening. I got there too late to help you in the fight, but you were bleeding out. I couldn´t leave you there. You would have died”</p><p>  Dean still stared at him with a puzzled frown.</p><p>“Is it that difficult to believe, Dean?”</p><p>“Okay, first thing- a hunter´s life <em>ain´t</em> easy”, he answered with a dramatic widening of his eyes, “I´m more used to sudden bad luck than good. And second… you know this kind of thing doesn´t happen every Tuesday, right? A noble helping a commoner?”</p><p>  Castiel looked down with a slight sadness on his features.</p><p>“I am aware”, he started, measuring his words, “that some nobles have forgotten our true mission. We are servants to the people, and that´s the only reason why we have access to more resources. Some have been taken by greed and pride, and… I know many consider peasants unimportant. Like… objects. Like annoying pets they need to keep an eye on so the Crown doesn´t take their funds away. Sometimes it´s not their fault. It´s what they have been taught. They don´t know better”</p><p>  The mage looked up at the hunter.</p><p>“But that is not me. In my case, I´m a healer. I see someone that needs healing, I heal them. I don´t go town to town fighting diseases, I can´t afford that kind of time. I have a lot of responsibilities and duties to attend. But… if something like this presents itself to me, I can´t turn it down. What kind of a healer would that make me?”</p><p>  Dean was looking at him very intently, a slight frown on his face.</p><p>“Man”, he finally said, “You´re not like <em>any</em> noble I´ve ever met”</p><p>“Have you met many?”, asked Cas with a smile.</p><p>“Not many, gotta admit”, Dean shook his head, “The few encounters I had… let´s say they didn´t leave me <em>eager</em> to repeat the experience”, finished, his voice dripping with irony.</p><p>  Cas gave him a sympathetic smile.</p><p>“Look, Dean… I want to help you, I truly do. You´re hurt. I still want to try and help you with your brother if I can. But I won´t be able to if you don´t let me. And as your doctor, that requires that you trust me to some extent. You have to trust my judgment if I say that you need to rest, to stay put; and that you can´t get out of this room. I don´t… want you to feel unsafe in your place of healing. At the very least, that would be counterproductive. I also don´t want to feel like I have to watch my back around you. I´m going to have to leave eventually, or to sleep. You are, after all, in my room”</p><p>  Dean blinked and looked at the bed he was occupying, as if he was considering Cas´s side of things for the first time.  </p><p>“I know that this is uncommon, and that it must be difficult for you to trust a stranger, if your life has been as complicated as you tell me it has. But I swear to you- I mean you no harm, nor bear nefarious intentions towards you. I will teleport you out when you are healed, and I <em>will</em> heal you. I promise you that”, said the mage looking at him intensely.</p><p>  Dean sighed, twisting his mouth a bit, as if struggling.</p><p>“Yeah, okay”, he accepted at last.</p><p>“Then… can we just be guest and host, and forget about everything else?”</p><p>  Dean raised his eyebrows in surprise.</p><p>“The old Laws of Hospitality?”, he asked unbelievingly.</p><p>“They seem to be fitting for this situation”, Cas nodded, “Honestly, they would make me feel better”</p><p>“I… wow. I thought nobody used them anymore”</p><p>“We nobles do. I do, at least”, Cas added quickly.</p><p>“Okay, okay, sure. I will…”, Dean made an incredulous face before continuing, “Like, not steal, not harm, not do anything I wouldn’t do in my own house. As your guest”</p><p>“And I, as your host, will provide you with hospitality, will guarantee your safety, and see to your needs. You will be free to go at any given moment”, he said ceremoniously, but he added in a faster, more normal voice, “But like, you know, you really shouldn’t leave until you´re completely healed”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I get that”</p><p>“I, Castiel of the House of the Mighty, give you my word”, continued the mage.</p><p>  Dean looked at him with slight incredulity.</p><p>“And… I, Dean Winchester, give you mine...”</p><p>  The awkwardness in the hunter´s face did not make him look sincere.</p><p>“Will you betray your given word, Dean Winchester?”, Cas asked.</p><p>“What? No, of course not”, he grunted offended, frowning, making Cas smile.</p><p>“Then I will trust it, and you”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. Same. Whatever”, Dean grunted as he let his eyes slid close.</p><p>  Feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders, Cas put his hands on his knees to stand up.</p><p>“Alright. Then I really should be going”</p><p>“Wait”, the hunter turned quickly to him, “Just… how long do you think the healing will take?”</p><p>  The mage sighed, sitting back again. He supposed it wasn´t good that the antidote was delayed even more, but it was probably more important that Dean had his doubts solved.</p><p>“It really depends on how well your body responds to the antidote”, he answered pensively, “Two days, maybe”</p><p>“Dude, I can´t wait that long”, he answered firmly, “Sammy needs me. I should be out there <em>right now</em>”</p><p>  The mage stared at him for a moment.</p><p>“I´ll find a way to speed it up. Okay?”</p><p>“… okay”</p><p>“Anything else?”</p><p>  Dean frowned in thought for a second.</p><p>“Not making noise, not getting out… it´s so your servants don´t notice I´m here?”</p><p>“Well, yes. But more precisely, my family”</p><p>“They won´t like it?”</p><p>  Cas stopped to measure his words for a second, pursing his lips.</p><p>“My family”, he said in a slow, deliberate tone, “can be very protective of one another. They don´t… disregard peasants as much as others- but having one of them in their halls is far different than managing their villages fairly. Understand that I have brought a stranger into our home and, potentially, put them in danger. There are expensive possessions in our house, valuable information. I think… if some members learned of your presence here, their reaction would not be a positive one”</p><p>“Meaning?”</p><p>  Cas´s eyes got lost in the distance for a second, and his voice turned a bit hushed. A lot less conversational, and much more serious and worried.</p><p>“Meaning… they could teleport you back to the forest, sick and wounded, which would mean your death. Or… accuse you of trying to steal. Which would mean hanging”, his voice lowered in volume as he spoke. </p><p>“Jesus Christ”, Dean exclaimed, eyes very wide, “Okay. Then they shouldn´t find out”</p><p>“Precisely", said Cas, forcing himself to look up, to try to smile, to bury memories, "That´s one of the reasons the door is locked. So no one comes in”</p><p>  Dean frowned, but stayed silent.</p><p>“Do you have any more questions?”</p><p>“Nah, not for now… Thanks”</p><p>  Cas took his bag onto his shoulder.</p><p>“Then I´ll be back in a couple of minutes”, he declared to Dean.</p><p>  And he finally stood up and walked to the blue crystal on his wall.</p><p>“Hey, dude… be careful out there, okay?”, Dean told him, “I mean, you probably know, but that forest is <em>packed</em> with monsters. Like, never seen anything like it”</p><p>  Cas smiled at his concern.</p><p>“This will lead me exactly to the place we left”, he said pointing at the crystal, “Where I´m going, there are only corpses. I think I can manage”</p><p>  Dean was frowning, eyes widening as he touched the stone.</p><p>  And he was immediately in the forest.</p><p>
  <strong>  </strong>
</p><p>  Dawn had come, and it cast long shadows upon the still dim place. The trees, the grass beneath his feet, everything was the same. Including the corpses of a pack of woodland fiends.</p><p>  Cas took a deep breath and let it out in a long exhalation. That had been awkward. He had really hoped the hunter would just accept his help without him having to explain who he was, and where he stayed, saving them both the awkwardness and prejudice and just be patient and healer. But he should have known that would not work if he had to stay more than one night. Which, with his fever, was the case.</p><p>  He shook his head a moment and then walked the perhaps four or five paces that separated the bluestone from the last woodland fiend the hunter had killed. He kneeled beside it, wrinkling his nose upon the stench of dead flesh.</p><p>  He believed that they could make this work, however; he thought as he examined the mouth of the thing. He had no reason to, but he had chosen to trust the hunter´s word. It was the least he could do, if he asked him to trust his. He took the pliers from his bag. He was honestly more concerned about what could happen if his family realized he had a <em>lowlife</em> in his room. That could really bring him a world of trou…</p><p>  A growl ripped him away from his thoughts.</p><p>  His eyes roamed around searching for the sound… until they caught some movement in the shadows.</p><p>  His blood froze.</p><p>  Something was there. Prowling.</p><p>  A blur at the edge of his vision made Cas look away, and he barely registered something lounging teeth at him before he automatically extended a hand in front of him with a shout. A blast of force caught whatever it was and made it land several feet away.</p><p>  He got to his feet, but heard a noise at his back, and lashed out a hand as he spun before even looking. He understood in a fraction of a second that another thing had almost gotten to him.</p><p>  And then something hit his back, and he went down.</p><p>  A lashing pain on his shoulder made him scream.</p><p>  Several guttural growls answered in kind.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Of the destiel fanfiction I´ve written, this is on my top two endings of a chapter. I looooove it so much ^^ Cliffhanger!! See you next Sunday! </p><p> </p><p>Special thanks to:<br/>- MossMan(Note) for their awesome, AWESOME Cas designs. I could not be more in love with it ^^</p><p>- Pax for being the best beta reader in the world!!</p><p>- IShip and her plant knowledge. I contacted you to ask about the antidote and later we remained in touch ^^ I feel so lucky!! Also, you were the one that came up with the "mudcrawler" term, if I recall correctly, and I love it so much! :D </p><p>- Sully for more noble insults (lowlife xD) and for helping me craft out the "I´m going to the forest/Im not/theres an attack/how does this happen" scene xD That was hard!</p><p>- Crowley (Ginger) for coming up with the word baron! Has a nice ring to it ^^</p><p>- Very intensely MY BOYFRIEND. I had to rewrite this chapter lots of times cause something didn't click- and I would have never seen it if he hadn´t pointed it out. Ugh, writing Dean is *hard*</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Saving Grace</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Road So Far: Castiel of the House of the Mighty finds Dean Winchester wounded in the Forest of Wyvernon. When Dean wakes up he distrusts Castiel, not knowing him or his motives, and them being noble and peasant does not help in reaching some peace. They finally settle on a truce and lay a pledge to the Laws of Hospitality. Since Dean got poisoned in the attack that hurt him, Cas leaves to the forest to get an ingredient... but something attacks him as soon as he arrives.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Gah! I´m sorry I didn´t post last Sunday. This was gonna be one of the chapters that came with an audio clip- I wanted to do a little montage of me narrating the first action scene to some epic music. However, last week was creatively very exhausting for me- I got eagerly back on the horse of Dreams of Perdition and published a chapter of it, then two days later I got the idea for the little scene in Try (15x19 fix-it-fic), I´ve started to plan a roleplaying game in the Supernatural world (which has got me writing and designing so many things)... And when Sunday night came I just felt I couldn't do more xD </p><p>After that I´ve tried several times to do the audio clip- but it just doesn´t click. So sorry, no audio clip in the end. Maybe I will someday come back and do it, or do something else entirely. However, the chapter´s ready, so here you go :) </p><p>Probably what I will do from now on, is I will try to publish 1 chapter per week but from either of my fanfics: Dreams of Perdition or Kingdom of Heaven. I can stretch only so much :)  </p><p>Anyway, since last chapter´s cliffhanger was so COOL (I love the suffering) I won´t stall you anymore, bring in the monsters!!!! :DDD </p><p>This episode was inspired by the song Archangel from Two Steps From Hell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ-QLl5qjLg), the first part written to it on a loop, and I highly recommend you listen to it as you read! It makes it so much better!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Cas screamed, as blood escaped his shoulder, as panic filled all of his senses; and a push of kinetic energy surged from him.</p><p>  Whatever had latched onto him was propelled away, ripping part of his shoulder in the movement. The mage barely registered the pain as he scrambled to his feet, but could run only a step before something latched strong jaws on his leg and made his knees buckle. Something hit his back as he landed on his hands, and a huge weight tackled his body to the forest floor. He was able to cover his head with his arms before something would rip his head off his shoulders.</p><p>  He screamed again as he felt fangs latching on his forearms. A huge weight on four paws crushed his back, making it difficult to breathe, to move away. His leg was still trapped between strong jaws, and agony ran through him as the thing shook its head violently from side to side, ripping skin and muscle. Violent growls filled the air. His heart was hitting double time, terror making his whole body tingle. He tried to concentrate, to do something...!</p><p>  The air seemed to vibrate for an instant, the world inhaling, before a huge wave of kinetic energy exploded from his body.</p><p>  Several whines were covered by a big booming sound that echoed in the trees, and suddenly Cas was free. But as he sat up trembling, his balance wavered, and his head started to pulse to the rhythm of his frantic heart. He froze for a second.</p><p>  <em>No…</em>, he thought in horror.</p><p>  He gulped and wobbly got to his knees. When he looked around, he saw the circle of damaged trees around him, some torn and broken in half by the desperate spell he had had no control over whatsoever. Too much energy, too little finesse. Too much magic.</p><p>  He managed to look back, where indistinct forms were getting up on their paws, shaking heads as if disoriented. He turned and his desperate eyes locked on the bluestone, only steps away. His way to safety. </p><p>  He tried to stand up, but his damaged leg failed him and he fell with a grunt. He started crawling on all fours- but he heard thumps from behind, and when he looked back again he saw the black-furred beasts running towards him, teeth bared.</p><p>  As the first opened its jaws to attack him, he shot a palm out screaming, force pushing them several feet in the air. A wave of dizziness made him groan and shut his eyes for a second. His head <em>hurt</em>.</p><p>  <em>No, not now!!</em>, he begged internally.</p><p>  He had to <em>move</em>.</p><p>  He forced his eyes open, crawled, and finally his hand touched the stone.</p><p>  It slipped through his fingers as something munched on his leg and dragged him through the forest floor.</p><p>“No!!”, he screamed, managing to roll around.</p><p>  A clawed paw crossed his face before he could hide behind his arms. Claws racked over them. He made a little ball of himself, making desperate sounds, trying to keep his wits about him enough to find a solution, a way out.</p><p>  His scrambling feet hit a big rock deeply buried in the ground, and he looked down, before planting both of his boots on it.</p><p>  Desperately turning his head to the ground, one arm still protecting it; he threw his hand down and lashed a push of force directly into the rock.</p><p>  Since the rock didn´t buck, the force dragged him and the beast through the carpet of dirt and leaves.</p><p>  And finally close, he shot his hand to the blue crystal, shouted an order, and disappeared in a blink.</p><p> </p><p>  Suddenly there was warmth, softer light, familiar smells… but the weight and growling still remained.</p><p>  Castiel moaned as his head throbbed painfully, a <em>whompwhompwhomp</em> ringing on his ears; but his moan transformed into a scream as the beast bit his arms again. He felt terribly weak, sick; an icy horrible sensation climbing from his heart, through his chest, to his neck.</p><p>  Then a clutching sound, a whine. The bites stopped as the creature arched its back in pain and revolved above him. Cas opened his eyes.</p><p>  For a fraction of a second, there was only the image of a huge black wolf above him; and even higher, Dean Winchester, standing by the beast, controlled fury on his features. He had his silver dagger buried in the creature´s back. The hunter reached his left hand to grasp the mane of the thing, teeth bared, and made it raise its head by main brute force. Both struggled for an instant, the man panting. Then, with a savage movement, he removed the dagger from the animal´s back to swiftly slash its neck.</p><p>  Hot liquid fountained on Cas´s cheek and chest, and he turned his head away as the wolf let out a high-pitched whine and its paws patted frantically on top of him. The panting hunter planted his feet and as he roared he shoved the beast strongly with his shoulder, making it tumble away from Castiel.</p><p>  The mage followed its fall with his wavering gaze, seeing how the giant black wolf thrashed its paws erratically, gurgling, until the spasms stopped and it all got quiet and still.</p><p>  Dean´s labored breathing was the only thing that broke the stillness for some seconds. The hunter had stepped over the fallen mage, dagger held in an upside-down grip; and stayed on his guard scowling at the creature, until it hadn´t moved for almost ten seconds.</p><p>  Then his shoulders slumped as he gave out a loud, exhausted sigh; and he leaned forward to rest his hands on his slightly bent knees.</p><p>“Dude”, he gasped a moment later, straightening his back a bit to look behind him at Castiel, “Are you okay?”</p><p>  Before he could answer, a wave of tension clutched mercilessly on his brain, and he moaned as he took a hand to his head, wincing, eyes tightly closed.</p><p>“Whoa, whoa, whoa; easy”, he heard somewhere close to him.</p><p>  Cas tried to breathe through it, and he barely registered that Dean had kneeled beside him. He heard him hiss to himself as he saw his wounds, though.</p><p>“Here, come on…”, he heard him say as he took him from an arm.</p><p>  But suddenly he let go of him, and Cas fell back again. When he looked at the hunter, his green eyes were guarded and cold.</p><p>“Castiel”, he murmured very seriously, his eyes unwavering from a point on his neck, “You… You´re getting corrupted, man”</p><p>  Cas gulped and blinked, fighting for that his world stopped spinning.</p><p>“I know”, he croaked, “I know… It's okay, Dean. I´m… I´m far from gone”</p><p>  He closed his eyes, panting. He had no idea how he had managed to teleport back feeling so sick. He just focused on breathing, on lowering his heart rate. His head hurt on a <em>whomp, whomp, whomp</em> rhythm now; the intensity of the hits waving up and down.</p><p>  Suddenly, an urgent knock on the door.</p><p>“Master Castiel?”, they heard.</p><p>  The hunter looked at him with wide-open eyes, alarm on his features.</p><p>“Is everything alright, my lord? I thought I heard screaming!”</p><p>  Castiel closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.</p><p>“I´m… I´m fine!”, he said loudly, “Something… splashed on me. I… I healed it already”</p><p>  Dean looked towards the door, tension on his shoulders, until an answer came back.</p><p>“… good to know. Please be careful, master”</p><p>“Yes, thank you Gadreel, you can… leave”, he panted.</p><p>  They both waited in stillness, but no other sounds came from the hallway.</p><p>“Damn”, Dean muttered in a low tone, “Can they hear us?”</p><p>“Only if we… are too loud. Stone walls…”, Cas murmured clumsily, and rose his gaze to the hunter in awe, “You… saved me”</p><p>  Dean smiled with a little huff.</p><p>“Well, you did save me first”, he answered cockily, some warmth on his eyes.</p><p>  Before Cas could say more, his head rebelled again, and he groaned clutching at it. Beside him, Dean winced in sympathy.</p><p>“Come on, c´ mere”</p><p>  Dean helped him up and got him hopping on his good leg until he sat on the bed. Then the hunter sat by his side with an exhalation, tossing the bloodied dagger unceremoniously into the mattress behind them. Castiel looked down at himself. His arms were completely trashed. His whole chest was stained red with blood from his shoulder, and the cuts on his face burned mercilessly. His leg was torn apart, some laps of muscle and skin almost loose. Blood soaked his pant leg and boot. . </p><p>  He could have died. It had been so stupidly close. He was trembling all over.</p><p>“What”, he heard Dean chide, “were you thinking?”</p><p>  He turned his head up to him, face still struck with shock, his lips partly open to pant through. With the slashes and the wolf´s blood staining him, his face had to present an unsettling image.</p><p>“Man”, Dean shook his head in disappointment, but the look on his eyes was worried, “<em>Anything</em> dead in a forest means <em>food</em>. <em>Of course</em> there would be critters around. Are you slow or something?”</p><p>  Castiel blinked, stunned. He… he was right. It made all kinds of sense. He… was used to thinking in Academy terms. Closed environments with controlled variables. But a forest was something alive. A complex ecosystem with thousands of interactions.</p><p>“I… hadn´t thought of that”, he mumbled.</p><p>“You sure you´re alright?”, Dean asked in disbelief, tugging on the neck of his tunic to peek behind it with a grimace.</p><p>“Yes, Dean”, he said, moving away so he let the fabric slip through his fingers, very annoyed for some reason. Personal space?</p><p>“How´re you feeling, wounds aside?”</p><p>“My head… is killing me”, he mumbled.</p><p>  The hunter looked at him, puzzlement on his features, until his brow rose.</p><p>“You… you don´t have a dampening tattoo?”</p><p>  The exhausted, pained mage looked up in confusion.</p><p>“What?”, he sighed.</p><p>“Duuude”, Dean shook his head in disbelief, “You´re like, going around <em>naked</em>. This the first time you get corrupted?”</p><p>“First time this bad”, he mumbled, taking a hand to rub at his neck.</p><p>“Heh. You don´t spend much time in the field, do you?”</p><p>  Cas managed to look up to glare at the hunter.</p><p>“I use a lot of magic, thank you very much. But… it´s usually in a more… controlled way…”</p><p>  <em>And I´ve usually slept the whole night</em>, he thought, <em>And I don´t normally spend a whole day in combat training, and then fly for hours, then heal a derailed hunter, and get attacked by freaking wolves, and throw magic around with no measure at all… </em></p><p>  He closed his eyes with a moaned sigh. The adrenaline spike was leaving him, and the pain of all his wounds was starting to register and clutter his mind. His shoulder probably wasn´t killing him, but it sure as hell felt like that. However, his torn leg constituted a new record for him on the pain scale. He gritted his teeth as he kept panting through them.  </p><p>  He could also feel the icy claws of the black veins that he knew, without looking at himself in a mirror, were marking his skin from his heart, to his shoulder, climbing up to his neck. And his <em>head</em>... still thumping... He rested his face on his hands, elbows on his knees, and allowed himself a moment to just… hurt, a faint grunt escaping him.</p><p>
  <em>  Whomp, whomp, whomp. Whomp. Whomp. Whomp... </em>
</p><p>“Come on, we gotta cover that. Have any more of those bandages?”</p><p>  Cas straightened a bit and looked at his trembling hands, seeing them soaked in blood. He frowned. Had the blood been on his hands before putting them on his face? Had… the blood been on his face and then gone into his hands?</p><p>“No”, he managed to say as he poorly wiped his face with his sleeve, “No bandages”</p><p>  Dean looked at him in confusion.</p><p>“Dude, you´re a mess. There are more leaves in that leg than in a fucking garden. You gotta take care of those wounds”</p><p>“I <em>will</em>”, groaned Cas, closing his eyes as he panted, “Just… give me a minute”</p><p>  Cas took a deep breath, managing to stop the trembling. Then he looked to the side, examining the hunter. He looked… done, almost bent over himself. Beads of sweat pearled his forehead. He did not understand how he could have killed that thing while still being sick. He shot a glance to his bandages… and slightly grunted in frustration.</p><p>“Dammit, Dean”, he said with no heat, “You reopened your wounds”</p><p>  The man looked surprised to his mid-section, where his bandages were slowly reddening.</p><p>“You shouldn´t have left the bed”, complained the mage in a sigh.</p><p>“Oh, I´m sorry”, Dean said with acid irony, “I guess next time something´s eating you alive, I will just lay back and enjoy the show”</p><p>“No, no, I´m grateful… Just… Thank you”, Cas sighed finally in defeat- what was done, was done.</p><p>“That´s better”, grunted Dean.</p><p>  <em>Okay. Okay, Castiel, </em>he thought to himself<em>, We are fine. Everything´s fine. Now let´s take care of everything, one step at a time.</em></p><p>  The mage finally started to knit together what he had to do next. He looked up at Dean in slight dismay for a second.</p><p>“I didn´t get your tooth”, he mumbled.</p><p>  Dean huffed out a laugh.</p><p>“Guess you were busy”</p><p>“We need to heal you”, Cas mumbled as his eyes trailed down tiredly, “You… should drink the elixir I made you. Then sleep. It will work better while you sleep”</p><p>“But no antidote?”, Dean asked.</p><p>“I don´t have the ingredients”, he sighed.</p><p>“Won´t that delay things even more?”, grunted the hunter slightly.</p><p>“I can´t do more right now, Dean”, he panted in slight annoyance.</p><p>  The hunter pressed his lips in frustration, but nodded meekly.</p><p>“Yeah. Okay. What about you?”</p><p>“I´m gonna have to heal these”, he said opening his arms a bit, kinda pointing at, well, his whole self, “So I guess I´m… going to pass out for a bit”</p><p>  Dean blinked at him in confusion.</p><p>“With magic? That´s… not a good idea”</p><p>“My family can´t see me hurt, Dean; or the scars non-magical healing would leave”, Cas said firmly looking up at him, “They would ask questions I have no way to answer”</p><p>  The hunter still frowned at him.</p><p>“I´m not sure, Castiel...”, he said, looking uncomfortable.</p><p>“I know my limits, Dean”, Cas answered him, tone firm and intense, “I will not. Fall”, he said pointedly.</p><p>  The hunter took a deep breath and nodded as he let it out in a frustrated sigh.</p><p>“Okay”, he conceded, "If you say so"</p><p>“Can you get to the table? The elixir is in the marble bowl”</p><p>“´Course I can”, grunted the hunter, getting to his feet.</p><p>  Cas let himself fall onto the pillow and scrambled a bit with the sheets until he got his legs beneath them, hissing in discomfort at the pain his wounds screamed at him as he moved his limbs.</p><p>  He looked down to see Dean put the bowl down and frown at the bed.</p><p>“I´m sorry I cannot offer you a separate cot”, Castiel sighed.</p><p>“Tis okay man”, Dean said, “I can sleep on the floor, you know. If it makes you feel weird”</p><p>“Absolutely not”, Cas said firmly, “You are my guest, and my patient, and you need to rest. Sleep is very important for healing. This bed is big enough for three or four people. We will be very far away. When I feel better, I´ll… find a better way”</p><p>“Whatever”, Dean snorted as he walked around the bed to the other side.</p><p>  Cas winced as his head tensed up again, and left his eyes closed for some moments after it passed, exhausted. He felt the bed move as Dean dropped on it with a grunt and took the covers over him. For some reason he looked to his left, to find the hunter looking back at him. Castiel´s face was slashed, half-covered in wolf blood, strained in pain. Dean´s was beaded in sweat, slightly pink-flushed by the low fever he still suffered, expression sick and exhausted.</p><p>  Dean snorted and laughed slightly.</p><p>“We´re pathetic”, Dean mused as he chuckled.</p><p>  Cas just smiled tiredly.</p><p>“You´re healing yourself now, then?”</p><p>“Yes”</p><p>“Sure you can handle it?”</p><p>“<em>Yes</em>, Dean”, he answered in annoyance.</p><p>“Pff. Man, do I hope you´re right”, the hunter said with his eyes closed, “I´m just saying- if I wake up with a black-eyed freak by my side, I´m not holding myself responsible”</p><p>  The mage shook his head and closed his eyes, dismissing Dean. He started taking deep breaths, stilling his thoughts, leaving the pain out of his awareness. He pictured his whole body on his mind. He could feel every damaged tissue on his body, the blood flowing onto the sheets. He collected all the strength he had left, took one last deep breath, and opened his eyes.</p><p>  He saw the room turn a lighter color, and by his side Dean inhaled sharply; the mage felt him shift suddenly on the bed.</p><p>“That´s normal, don´t stab me…”, he murmured, trying to keep his concentration. </p><p>  Cas knew that when he focused his power a lot, his eyes shone with a blue light… and it could be weird to watch. Dismissing the change, he sent his intentions through his veins.</p><p>  He felt the magic tingling on his limbs, willing them whole; on the wounds on his face, willing them close. He started breathing faster as he tried to maintain control, the precision surgical, so he wouldn’t waste energy that could harm him more, even though he felt his focus tremble. He kept the spell longer, longer, until he felt all his wounds had been tended for.</p><p>  Then he released it, and the wave of pain that hit his brain made him arch his neck. He moaned and scrunched his eyes, teeth gritting.</p><p>“Whoa, whoa, whoa; you okay?”</p><p>  There was only <em>one</em> wave, relentless, excruciating, shaking his whole reality. He did not hear Dean crawl closer, but he felt him taking his chin up to examine his neck.</p><p>“Hasn´t gotten a lot worse”, he heard him say, and felt him clap his shoulder, “You´re okay, buddy. You did it. Get some rest”</p><p>  He wanted to glare at him. <em>Of course</em> he had done it. He was a <em>healing mage</em>. He was more than capable of healing his wounds, and <em>absolutely</em> more than able to avoid corruption, thank you very much.</p><p>  But his annoyance dissolved, the pain being a little too much. He finally flailed his hands to his head, rolling into a fetal position, breathing heavily. Everything spun, and even though he breathed and breathed, he was finally cast into the darkness.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you enjoyed that! I love some hurt!Cas. Can you deduce what the Corruption is all about already? </p><p>Special thanks as always to Pax, my awesome beta-reader!! And everyone that likes this and tells me and makes me be motivated for it ^^ I send you all the love!</p><p>See you next week in chapter 5, "My Name is Dean Winchester!" Some bonding finally ^^ And a very, very cool initial scene. Ah, I just love nightmares ^^</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. My Name is Dean Winchester</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Road So Far: Nobleman Castiel of the House of the Mighyt has taken peasant hunter Dean Winchester into his home to heal him. Castiel teleported back into the forest to retrieve an ingredient for an antidote, but as soon as he appeared he got attacked by giant wolves. He barely got out of the encounter alive, and even teleported back one of the beasts with him. Even sick, Dean killed the creature. Castiel, heavily affected by the Corruption, lost consciousness as he used the last of his energies on healing his own wounds.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay, I´m seeing that I´m absolutely unable to post like, every Sunday or on a specific given day. I feel I will be better if I just, post whenever the f**k I want xD So... yeah, I guess Ill try to get to like approximately a chapter a week of either one of my two fanfics, but if like today I wanna post two, that´s okay. And if next week I don't post anything cause you got two this week that´s okay too. Life is hard enough for me to put strict rules on myself on something that´s meant to make me happy xD And I hate to tell myself "waaaaaaiiit till Sunday..." when I´m hyped and I really wanna post! So now it´s open season :)</p><p>I did a little something. I recorded an audio clip of me narrating the first part of this chatper with some creepy music on the background. I know there is a moment when I stutter, and being a perfectionist it stabs me right on the gut- but I seriously don´t have the energy of doing it again, and knowing myself if I don't post it now I won´t ever do it. So... would you please check it out? I did an Ivox account and posted it there. Here´s the link: </p><p>https://go.ivoox.com/rf/61164859<br/>(If you click like, as soon as I post this, it might still be processing, please give it a little time!)<br/>Im pretty excited about learning how to narrate and do voices, so would you guys tell me your thoughts? Should I make more, would you like that? ^^</p><p> </p><p>As always, this chapter was written to music: an apocalyptic music compilation to inspire the nightmare (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBUQppVsMp0) and for the rest, a relaxing medieval playlist that to me is starting to become Kingdom of Heaven´s official soundtrack (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27e0A74_4Lc).<br/>At least, until they get out of the room and start hunting. Then we will go back to The Witcher soundtrack :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  He was running. He had seen it, growing in the far distance, but rushing so quickly. He didn´t know what it was… but he knew it was coming for him.</p><p>  He cried out as he begged his legs to run faster, his body to be swifter… but he had never been an athletic kid. Reading and drawing, books and charcoal, that was his world. His little legs barely ate terrain, and his muscles couldn´t do more. He tried to look back, and terror filled him as he saw it closer, so much closer. It had been miles away… now it was almost upon him.</p><p>  He was only eleven, and every instinct on his body told him he was going to die.  </p><p>“Mum!!”, he desperately screamed, “Dad!! Michael, Gabriel!!”</p><p>  He could not teleport at will. They could save him…</p><p>  But he was alone.</p><p>  It got to him. That dark fog, engulfing in its speed everything around him immediately - the garden, the sky, the Spire walls, still so far away… all gone. Only darkness. He fell to the ground coughing, suddenly short of air, and he desperately gasped. He felt it crawling through his mouth and nose, getting <em>inside him</em>, cold and moist and heavy, and twisting in his stomach, in his chest.</p><p>  He heaved, utterly terrified. He didn´t want to die. He knew what death was. He knew how dead eyes looked like. He remembered his brother´s body on the floor, the blood in the cobblestones, the ceremony, the coffin. He didn´t want to die. He didn´t want to die!</p><p>  He tried to scream, tears falling from his tightly shut eyes, as he felt the icy claws clutching at his chest, his shoulder, his neck, his face…!</p><p>“Hey!!”</p><p>  Castiel opened his eyes with a startled sound, hands pushing away whatever tug on his arm, recoiling. Heart racing, he looked wildly around.  </p><p>“Look at me!”</p><p>  And then green eyes were piercing into him.</p><p>  He froze, panting. Green eyes. Strong, vibrant, with specks of gold in the center. A small streak of freckles on the cheeks beneath them. The most incredible eyes he had ever seen, really. Eyes that did not belong in The Darkness. Eyes… that he remembered.</p><p>  The hunter. The forest.</p><p>  He was safe.</p><p>  The man had his face mere inches from his. He had at some point taken both of his wrists with one fist, and his other hand was clutching at his jaw, preventing him from looking away.</p><p>  Cas did not understand what was happening, and didn´t dare to move.</p><p>“Hm…”, he said pensively, easing on the pressure he made on his face.</p><p>“… Dean?”, he said in a small voice.</p><p>“Heya, buddy”, he gave him a cocky half smile, pride on his eyes, “Glad you made it back”</p><p>  And he released his grip on him, clapped Cas twice on the shoulder, and retreated from his looming position over him to sit back on the bed by his side.</p><p>  Castiel still didn’t move for some moments. He closed his eyes while the last remnants of his dream completely faded away, and he started to realize the headache– the non-pulsing, <em>blessfully</em> normal headache- that was well settled on the center of his forehead. He looked back at Dean with a grimace.</p><p>“What?”, he murmured, “What do you mean?”</p><p>“You didn´t Fall. You were right”, Dean said with an acknowledging nod.</p><p>  Cas blinked… slowly understanding. He had been checking his eyes. Seeing if they had gone all black.</p><p>“You… thought I´d Fallen?”</p><p>“Well, you got no veins, were making noises. Had to make sure”, Dean shook his head for a second, “Was a nightmare, though, right? I´ve got some of those”</p><p>  The mage closed his eyes and gave out a deep sigh. That… was a recurrent one, although it had been some time since he had last had it. He was finally in the present, though- the hunter, the wolf, the Corruption.</p><p>  Cas took a hand to his shoulder. He felt no wound, and no pain. Extended his arms in front of him. The wounds were gone, although not the blood stains.</p><p>“How ya feelin´?”</p><p>  How many hours had he slept? Golden light entered through the window. Was it maybe sundown? Castiel sat up at the bed beside Dean, checking himself. No dizziness. No awful waves of unbearable tension. Good.</p><p>“Better, I believe”, he answered, “I have an intense headache, but that is all”</p><p>“Holy hell. I was sure you were gonna eat my face”, Dean said as he slowly shook his head.</p><p>  Cas swung his legs over the side of the bed. So far so good, no dizziness. He took a hand to rub on his chest: he could still feel the icy claws, but their reach had diminished considerably.</p><p>“How´s it progressing?”, Dean asked lightly.</p><p>“It is mainly located on the chest now”, Cas answered, feeling the black veins over his heart, barely reaching his shoulder.</p><p>“Damn”, said Dean frowning, “How the hell did you recover so fast?</p><p>“We mages process the Corruption way faster than commoners”, said Cas.</p><p>“Huh. I see”</p><p>  The hunter seemed more rested, his face less flushed… but he had to check on him to be sure. However, before daring using his power in earnest again, he decided to make a little test. He stood up and looked down at himself- his dirtied, bloodied, fabric-shredded self. Then put a hand on his chest and made a small effort of will.</p><p>  A second later his clothes were repaired and clean. The bloodstains on his hands and arms were gone also. His headache remained unfazed- not leaving, but not getting worse either. That was excellent.</p><p>  He turned back to Dean, who was looking at him wide-eyed. He opened his arms a bit with a small, tired smile.</p><p>“Better?”</p><p>  Dean did not answer him for a second, looking at him with a weirded-out expression, hand clutching in an unsure motion.</p><p>  Cas looked down at the bed, frowning. The sheets were dirtied with blood- his and Dean´s, he realized. He hunched enough to touch the cloth, and in a blink, the bed linen was spotless.</p><p>“How do you do that?”, said Dean, scrunching up his nose.</p><p>“Magic”, Cas smiled, “It´s just some basic lightomancy, purification”</p><p>“Huh… Handy”</p><p>  Castiel sat back on the bed by the hunter with a small sigh. The wisest thing he could probably do was to take care of Dean, have a light supper and go back to bed. By the next morning, the weariness and pain would have faded away. Just a little bit more, he thought. He turned and shifted in the bed to face Dean.  </p><p>“Let me check on you”, he said, turning towards him.</p><p>  Dean followed with his eyes the movement of his hand towards his forehead, and while the healer sent his awareness into his body for a second, he stared into his face with a guarded fascination. The mage smiled slightly upon what he felt.</p><p>“Your wounds are closed, and the fever is lower”, he nodded in approval, taking his hand down, “You´re getting better”</p><p>“Well, I feel like crap”, Dean grunted, “Worse than this morning”</p><p>  Cas closed his eyes for a second, his headache spiking, then blinked rapidly to focus his eyesight. Okay, so maybe small tricks were alright to try, but full-on magic would be off the table for a bit yet.</p><p>“This morning, the anesthetic I applied the previous night was still acting, masking the pain. Of course your wounds still hurt. Closed doesn’t mean healed”, Cas clarified, “They are just not bleeding anymore. They are still tender, you can reopen them if you move around too much. I can apply some more anesthetic if you wish me to”</p><p>“Nah, I can deal with it”, Dean looked away in frustration.</p><p>“There´s still venom on your system, but your body seems to be fighting it pretty successfully…”, he continued.</p><p>“How long, Cas?”, Dean interrupted in a grunt.</p><p>  The mage blinked at him for a moment in concern. The hunter was not looking at him, but he seemed to be boiling in frustration and anger inside.</p><p>“I don’t know, Dean. Maybe one more day, or two”</p><p>“<em>Dammit</em>…”, he grunted, teeth clenched.</p><p>“I´m sorry. If I… had been able to make the antidote, probably sooner, but…”, Cas sighed and tried to think, “You´ve had an elixir pretty recently, so another one or a potion won´t make anything go faster. Maybe I can do something with magic to speed it up when I have rested some more… I´m sorry, but I´m not feeling completely recuperated yet. I don’t dare try anything big”</p><p>  Dean looked up at him in sudden slight surprise.</p><p>“I… no, man, it´s okay. You´re doing a lot”</p><p>“I´m sorry”, he said again, looking down, “This delay is my fault. If I had gotten…”</p><p>“Dude”, Dean interrupted in a firm voice, “You got munched on for trying to bring me a freaking ingredient. Don´t apologize”</p><p>  Castiel fell silent at that. He didn’t feel like a very capable healer at that moment. A rookie mistake had prolonged his patient´s suffering, and at the same time rendered him helpless to help him otherwise through magic. He looked up to see Dean looking at him, and the hunter made a small smile.</p><p>“You know, I think we started on the wrong foot this morning, nobleman”, he tilted his head in an inviting way, “Wanna try it again?”</p><p>  Cas smiled tiredly back at him.</p><p>“If you want”, he murmured as he shifted in bed to sit with his back resting on the headboard, truly not feeling like standing up.</p><p>“Okay. I´ll go first. Hi”, the hunter enunciated as he opened theatrically his hands, a charming smile to his lips, “My name is Dean Winchester. I´m twenty-nine, I´m an Aquarius. I enjoy sunsets, long walks on the beach and frisky men and women”</p><p>  Cas blinked and jolted back as if he´d been slapped, eyes wide. Dean stared at him for a second in confusion, until he made a pained grimace.</p><p>“Riiight. Homophobia is a thing among nobles, isn´t it?”, he grunted.</p><p>“No. No, no, no, it´s not, it´s…”, babbled Cas, out of balance.</p><p>“Ugh. My freaking mouth… Honestly man, didn´t wanna make you uncomfortable, it was just a joke”</p><p>“No, no, really, I´m not, I´m, not, I just wasn´t expecting… I do, too…”</p><p>  Dean looked at him. Cas did not know how to fix this.</p><p>“…L-like…”</p><p>  <em>What are you doing??</em>, a voice in his head screamed at him</p><p>“…men”, he said before he realized what a bad idea that was. </p><p>  The hunter stared at him with a surprised look.</p><p>“Oh, really?”, he said in a <em>how interesting</em> kinda tone.</p><p>“<em>ButI´mengaged</em>”, Cas blurted, almost too quickly to understand.</p><p>  His eyes were wide, panic on his face. Why had he said that? He had intended to assure Dean he would not condemn him for something that as a doctor he knew was natural and innocuous, that if he was attracted to men it was obvious he wouldn´t be an illiterate homophobe; but instead he had just… blurted out…</p><p>  Dean let out a belly laugh, making him blink in confusion.</p><p>“Oh, shit”, he made a pained gesture, taking his hand to his stomach, but his smile never died, “Oh, man”, he said, still chuckling, “Do you think I´m gonna hit on you just for that?”</p><p>  Castiel still looked at him, confused.</p><p>“I- don´t know”, he said clumsily, guarded.</p><p>  That made Dean snort and chuckle some more, and he shook his head as his laughter died.</p><p>“Don’t sweat it, man. You´re not my type”, he blurted out with a grin as he laid back on the bed, his hands beneath his head.</p><p>  That, for some reason, relaxed Cas´s shoulders. Dean chuckled in delight, and finally Castiel smiled a bit too.</p><p>“I´m… sorry”, the mage mumbled, pressing the back of his neck with a hand, “I… That took me by surprise”</p><p>“I saw”, Dean smiled at him wickedly from below, “Totally unintended, but man, totally worth it. Your face…”, he snickered as he grinned.</p><p>“It… <em>is</em> an issue among the nobility”, Cas admitted, looking away in slight discomfort, “Like… people <em>know</em> different sexual orientations exist, but… it´s something that´s not supposed to be… acknowledged. Or talked about. They get in the way of… duty”</p><p>“Ugh. Tough on you, man”, said Dean scrunching up his nose.</p><p>“It´s okay”, Cas mumbled dismissively, “Do you always…? Say it so… carefree?”, he asked in a curious, confused frown, examining Dean again.</p><p>“Well, yeah. It ain´t a big thing, really”, the hunter answered with a dismissive shrug, “I mean, it´s not usually a problem amongst peasants. Homophobia, I mean. It´s gotten kinda old. I guess people are troubled enough by <em>real</em> problems to worry about who wants to sleep with who”, he finished with a roll of his eyes.   </p><p>“I… see”, Cas said pensively, but he felt he didn´t understand yet, “What about… population growth? Wouldn´t… homosexuality get in the way of that?”</p><p>“Dude, the war left <em>hundreds</em> of orphans. No one cares if you don´t birth children, there are plenty to adopt roaming around”</p><p>“Ah. That makes sense”</p><p>  Another silence fell. Cas, longing to stop feeling so uncomfortable and eager to change the subject, tried to smile and continue talking.</p><p>“Hi, Dean. I am Castiel, seventh son of the House of the Mighty”</p><p>  Dean, who had been staring at the ceiling for a moment, turned on the bed towards him, head held up by a prepped elbow. His complicit smile showed his approval towards him for following along in the game. </p><p>“I´m twenty-seven years old. I… enjoy reading, and uh… alchemy, and… I used to draw when I had more time?”, he ended, not knowing what else to add.</p><p>“Cool”, Dean nodded, “Nice to meet ya, Cas. Can I call you Cas?”</p><p>“I don´t see a reason why not”</p><p>“Awesome. Seventh son…”, Dean squinted pensively for a second, “Does it mean something interesting?”</p><p>“Only that nobody cares what I think, and that I do not count on family decisions”, Cas said smiling jokingly.</p><p>  Dean laughed a little.  </p><p>“Dude, seven's a lot. So many siblings”</p><p>“My parents had nine kids”, Cas said raising his eyebrows pointedly.</p><p>“Whoa!”, Dean looked at him wide-eyed, “Really?”</p><p>“Yes”, answered Castiel with a little fond smile.</p><p>“That <em>poor</em> <em>woman</em>”, Cas closed his eyes and shook his head at that, “Must be a fun crazy nuthouse”</p><p>“Not so much, at least not anymore”, Cas admitted, “We´ve all grown up, and each of us has… his life, and interests and duties”</p><p>“I see”, said Dean, “In my case, it´s just me and Sammy…”</p><p>  The light in his eyes dimmed more and more over the next instants, making Cas frown. The hunter pressed his lips together, gloom conquering his features.</p><p>“Would you like to tell me what happened to your brother?”, Cas asked.</p><p>  Dean looked back at him.</p><p>“He got lost in the woods, right?”, the mage provided, “What happened?”</p><p>  The man frowned in worry, then sat up and looked at him intently.</p><p>“Well, you know we´re hunters, right?”, Cas nodded at that, “He was following a lead. Some kids have been getting missing in different villages that are all close to the Forest of Wyvernon. Lotta kids. Like, more than ten”</p><p>“That´s horrible”, Cas said in a hushed tone, “Hadn´t the parents contacted the authorities?”</p><p>“Sure they had, and they looked, but couldn’t find them in the populated areas. And they won´t get into a forest that´s full of monsters. You gotta pay a crazy hunter for that”, he provided, tilting his head as if that were obvious.</p><p>  Castiel nodded. </p><p>“I was on another hunt, and when I came back to where we usually meet up, he´d left a letter for me”, Dean´s eyes were lost in the mid-distance, pensive and concerned, “He suspected rawheads. Sometimes they hoard food, you know, for mating season. Maybe the kids could be even alive in a nest or something, so he wouldn´t wait for me. Said he´d found a trail and would follow it the next day”</p><p>“I see”, Cas said, “And you haven´t heard from him since?”</p><p>“Nada”, Dean answered with a disgusted grunt, “He should be back already. Like, days ago, man! But neither is he, nor the kids. So I got into the forest. I… found his trail and followed it to where you found me. I got into that fight cause those things were eating something, and I thought… It could… be him”</p><p>  The mage looked at him in horror- he thought they could have been <em>eating his brother</em>. Sure, woodland fiends were huge and easy to dodge if you spotted them from afar… Unless you run to them to see what they were eating and got into fighting range.</p><p>“But they were munching on some stupid dead moose”, Dean grunted angered, “Got thrown to the bench for nothing…”</p><p>  They stayed in silence for some seconds. Dean´s frustration seemed to be eating at his guts when he looked back at the mage.</p><p>“Cas, I <em>need</em> to be out there. Like... <em>Yesterday</em>”, he said in an intense tone, “He´s my little brother, he´s my responsibility”</p><p>“I know, Dean”, Castiel answered softly, concerned, “But you know that if you are not alright, you won´t be able to help any…”</p><p>“I don´t even know if he´s still alive”, Dean said in a broken hush.</p><p>  Castiel´s heart wrenched a bit at that. The hunter looked away, but he thought he saw his eyes glint before they were out of sight.</p><p>“No”, he firmly said suddenly, and he passed a hand through his hair, “Can´t wait any longer. He needs me”</p><p>“Dean”, Cas complained as Dean swung his legs over the side of the bed to get up.</p><p>“Sorry, Cas. I know you´re my doctor and all- but you also said you wouldn´t hold me here against my will”</p><p>“Dean, you´re still poisoned…!”, Cas complained, sitting up on the bed.</p><p>“I´m <em>fine</em>”, he grunted looking back at him, “I´ve roamed woods in far worse condition. I´ve stayed here for too long. How long has it been? Two days, three?”</p><p>“Not even two full days”</p><p>“Too damn long”, the hunter was scanning the floor, apparently looking for his clothes, “Can I remove this?”, he said touching his bandages.</p><p>“Dean wait, just… hold on a minute”, the mage asked, raising his hand pleadingly.</p><p>  The hunter looked at him defiantly, fear and anger burning in his emerald eyes.</p><p>“I know you mean well, Cas, I do. But he´s my baby brother, man”, he said shaking his head, “I know myself, I know how I´m feeling and I know that I can absolutely deal with whatever shithead monster comes at me right now. Maybe it won´t be my finest game, but it will be decent enough”</p><p>“You have to know, better than anyone, that just one mistake can mean death in…”, Cas started to reason.</p><p>“Can you take me back?”</p><p>  Cas blinked for a second.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You said you can´t do anything big”, the hunter said, looking at him very intently, “Is teleporting a big thing? Or can you do it?”</p><p>  Castiel frowned, trying to find a way out, to…</p><p>“Would be cool cause the trail was just right there…”, Dean continued as Cas didn´t answer right away, “But we either fly, or I walk, man. Period”, he said in a final tone.   </p><p>  Castiel just looked at him for a second, shoulders slumping.</p><p>“I could”, he answered at last, “I can”</p><p>“Will you?”</p><p>“I…”</p><p>“<em>Please</em>”, he said in a tone that was more of anger than pleading, but his eyes begged.</p><p>  The mage held his gaze… but finally sighed in defeat. Unless they were clearly not in their right mind… a true doctor always honored their patient´s wishes.</p><p>“Alright, Dean. If that´s what you really want”, he caved.</p><p>  The hunter let out a relieved sigh.</p><p>“Thank you”, he said crisply.   </p><p>“If you don’t rest, your fever could get worse”, the healer said without heat, “And your wounds could reopen so easily…”</p><p>“Make me more of that elixir thingy. I´ll take it at whatever hour I gotta take it. Will stay out of trouble, just scouting, until it´s finished patching me up”</p><p>  Cas nodded, head slump. He had to honor Dean´s decision. He hated it, and he was sure it was a bad choice. But he had to. And he understood the drive to protect those he loved.   </p><p>“A potion would work better”, he said pensively, “It will corrupt you a bit, but it´s instant healing. You wouldn´t have to wait, or sleep, for it to provide its full effect”</p><p>“Awesome, Cas. That´s awesome. You think you can do that?”</p><p>“Yes, it´s easy”, he answered, mind racing, “I am… trying to think in which other way could I help you”, he murmured, “Can you give a one more minute before leaving?”</p><p>“Sure”</p><p>“Your clothes are on top of the trunk”, Cas pointed, “I´m sorry, I did not clean them”</p><p>“T´s okay”, Dean answered as he took long strides towards the lab area.</p><p>  He truly moved more vigorously. He seemed tired, but maybe he would be alright. Cas tried at least to think that. </p><p>“Did you say rawheads?”, he finally asked.</p><p>“Yeah”</p><p>“I could contact the forest rangers that guard the forest limits. Ask them if there is any rawhead nest known. With the resources my family has, the answer would get to us in a very quick fashion”</p><p>“But isn’t that kind of information super expen…?”, started to ask Dean, turning towards him with his shirt half-way on.</p><p>  The mage cocked an eyebrow at him.</p><p>“… oh, right”, said Dean, resuming his dressing.</p><p>“If your brother was following their trail, he probably ended up in a rawhead nest. If instead of trying to find <em>his</em> trail and follow it you go directly to the finish line, that would save you time, wouldn’t it?”, the mage asked.</p><p>  Dean´s eyes were lost on the possibilities, a slight glint to them.</p><p>“Yeah… yeah, it would”, he said, a light excitement in his voice, “He´s too many days ahead of me, anyway. That´s probably the best way…”</p><p>“Okay”, Cas smiled at him, “I can send the message right now, and as we wait for an answer I can maybe make you a potions and give you some food so that…”</p><p>  The mage trailed off until he stared confused at nothing for a second. Then raised horrified eyes at Dean.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“<em>Food</em>!”, he exclaimed</p><p>“What?”, repeated Dean in confusion.</p><p>“I haven´t fed you!”, he looked back at the window, the sun had set some time ago outside, “You´ve skipped breakfast! <em>And </em>lunch!”</p><p>  He still felt pretty sick, so hunger was not a problem for him. But the hunter must have been starving for <em>hours</em>. His guest. His patient. <em>Starving</em>.</p><p>“Pff. It´s okay, man, sometimes I spend…”</p><p>“Oh, I´m such a <em>terrible host</em>”, Cas moaned as he got to his feet.</p><p>  He walked to a little string that hung close to the bed and then got inside a hole in the wall. He pulled from it, and in some place outside, a little bell rang.</p><p>“I´m having a servant come”, he said walking to the door and turning back to him, “You should…”</p><p>  Before he´d finished Dean had walked around the bed to hide from the door behind it.</p><p>“…hide”, he finished, a smile to his lips.</p><p>  A hand surged from behind the bed giving him a thumbs-up. Cas shook his head and tried not to laugh as someone knocked on the door.</p><p>  The mage took a deep breath, thought of his story for a second, then opened.</p><p>“Good evening, master Castiel”</p><p>  A tall man with graceful features and a square jaw stood in front of him. He´d served his family for years. The mage gave him a small smile.</p><p>“Good evening, Gadreel. I would like you to bring me some food, if that were possible…”</p><p>  He trailed off as he saw Gadreel look behind him, mouth agape. He whirled, afraid he´d seen Dean… but the servant was looking wide-eyed in horror to the huge wolf dead on the floor. He looked back at the servant forcing a smile.</p><p>“I´m… practicing some life magic”, he provided, uncomfortable, “Don´t worry, you will not have to clean that, I´ll take care of it”</p><p>  The servant seemed relieved at that, and his eyes peeled off the furred beast.</p><p>“Also for that, for the life magic”, he added as naturally as he could, “I´m going to need you to bring me a dinner that’s twice the normal amount. I´m giving myself the strength of an animal, you see. I have to eat more”, he tried to smile, “And stay focused. So I´ll eat it in my room”</p><p>  He tried to keep his forced smile, hoping too much information would not raise any suspicions.</p><p>“Today´s dinner, my lord?”, the servant asked, looking confusedly at him.</p><p>“Uh… yeah?”, he blinked confusedly at him.</p><p>“Shall I… announce your absence in tonight´s gathering, then?”</p><p>  The mage stared at him, mind blank for an instant… until he closed his eyes wincing.</p><p>“Today´s Sunday, isn´t it, Gadreel?”</p><p>“Yes, my lord, it is”, the servant provided with a compassionate smile, “I guess you are focusing a lot on your studies”</p><p>  <em>Yeah, it´s not as if something completely inappropriate is distracting me</em>, he thought.</p><p>“I… okay”, he sighed, “Why don´t you bring me then one dinner as fast as you can… and I´ll have the second ration when I come down in a while”</p><p>“Dinner will be served in twenty minutes, sir”</p><p>  Castiel widened his eyes. He was gonna be <em>late</em>.</p><p>“Thank you, Gadreel”, he said, really meaning it.</p><p>“Anytime, sir. I will bring anything quick the kitchens can provide me with, sir”</p><p>“Yes, thank you, I´d really appreciate that. Bring, like, a lot, please, and fast”</p><p>“I will be right back”</p><p>  Castiel closed the door with a deep frown that he kept as he turned to the room. He looked up at the wall clock beside the door. He had totally lost track of what hour it was… and also what day, apparently. </p><p>“What was that all about?”, asked Dean as he stood up from behind the bed.</p><p>“It… it´s Sunday. I had forgotten”, mumbled Cas.</p><p>“And? What does that mean?”</p><p>  Cas looked up at Dean. He was <em>so</em> tired. His headache continued.</p><p>“Family dinner”, he grunted. </p><p>  This was gonna be <em>perfect</em>.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ah! I love the nightmare, and giving little glimpses of Castiel´s past... </p><p>This chapter was part of the previous one before, and it took a lot of work to do (and to re-do xD). In the end I splitted it up cause it was so long... And I´m so glad I did that, cause it allowed me to introduce the nightmare. I really wanted Cas to have nightmares on his first corrupted night, it made all the sense; but I felt it took the attention from the wolf attack on the previous chapter. So here you go :) </p><p>So yeah, Cas is officially gay in this universe, and Dean openly bisexual- AND OKAY WITH IT isn´t it a relief?? Not that that´s an important fact. Dean said so. He´s NOT HIS TYPE. And Cas is ENGAGED. NOTHING´S GONNA HAPPEN. EVER. I´m not fooling you, am I? xDDD That is all obviously a lie: things WILL happen, or this wouldn't be a Destiel story, would it? But- it won´t be that easy! Can you feel the drama building up already?</p><p>By the way: I do know that they both sound a bit too old, 27 and 29... But the chronology is hard to do &gt;.&lt; As you know from the summary, there was a huge war, and I had to give the people at least 15 years to recover from the damages of war, and the characters had to be old enough to remember the events and be able to react to them... Everything´s got a reason, you´ll see :) </p><p>Eager for next chapter, The Antichamber? I´m super happy with how all of Castiel´s siblings turned out... See you soon!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Antechamber</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Road So Far: Cas went to the forest to get an ingredient for Dean´s antidote, but he was attacked by giant wolves. He teleported back, bringing a beast with him, but Dean killed it and saved him. In his magical efforts to survive, Cas got corrupted, and though now he´s better, the symptoms still linger on him. Dean is not healed but he´s too nervous for Sam to stay longer, so he will leave tonight. But today is Sunday, and Cas is supposed to have dinner with his family. He hopes he can hide his Corruption from them.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>In this chapter, we see Castiel´s brothers for the first time. Some notes on their appearance, at least my interpretation of it: </p><p>- Michael here has the face of Jake Abel (Adam in the show, who does not exist in this universe as a Winchester brother)</p><p>- Jake Abel and Tyler Johnston (Samandriel) really look alike, right?? ^^ I love them being brothers. </p><p>- In this fic, although they won't be discussed in extension, genetics are very important in the background story. So it pains me, but for things to work, Uriel has to be white, since both his parents are white. I thought of fixing this by making him adopted, but that really broke too many things; it made no sense and didn´t explain why he has as much power as he does. His face for me is still Robert Wisdom´s (Uriel´s actor in the show), and if I´m honest, I picture him black sometimes as I write. So he´s canonically white for everything to make sense, but you guys are free to visualize him as black as I visualize him xD I promise more people of color will appear later on- not many since SPN really does not have a lot of cast like that, but I promise important powerful people are black. Remember Billie? She´s somewhere :)</p><p>I´m really happy with how this chapter ended up ^^. Also very important bits of worldbuilding here!! </p><p>This chapter doesn't have a specific song, I just wrote it to the main theme of this fic,<br/>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27e0A74_4Lc :) </p><p>Shout out to Gabry. I loved seeing your comment, buddy ^^ Your enthusiasm always hypes me!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Family dinner?”, repeated Dean.</p><p>“Yes, and I´m <em>late</em>…”</p><p>  Castiel looked around wildly. He had to <em>rush</em>. Dinner would be in twenty minutes, but he was expected even before that for the reception with his brothers. He actually had like… five minutes?</p><p>“Dammit”, he muttered as he started moving.</p><p>  He had no time to change, no time for a shower. He took the silver basin that was still on the floor beside the bed with dirty water from the night before, and took it to the nightstand that was closest to the mirror on the wall, the left one. As the basin touched the wood, the water was instantly clean. He splashed a bit on his face, hoping it would erase the remains of his sleep, and tried to comb his disheveled hair with moist fingers. It was a poor substitute for correct hygiene, but he could not waste a second. Luckily, he didn´t need to shave.</p><p>“I´m-I´m gonna have to go”, he told Dean hurriedly as he did so, “I will teleport you out as soon as I come back. Is that okay? You can get some rest meanwhile, since I guess you will have trouble sleeping tonight”</p><p>  He whirled towards the hunter, who frowned but nodded.</p><p>“I guess, yeah. You´re contacting the rangers, then?”</p><p>  Shoot. The message. Cas blinked for a second before nodding. He rushed to his desk and took a quill to start scribbling rapidly on a piece of parchment.</p><p>“There, there we go”, he left the manuscript on the desk so the ink dried.</p><p>  He was going to jump over the dead wolf when he stared at it for a second. God, it was disgusting to have that there. He sighed. He could not leave before Gadreel returned with the food for Dean, anyway. He frowned for a second, thinking.</p><p>“Can you lend me a hand with that?”, he finally asked, looking up at the hunter.</p><p>“Uh… Sure. What do you have in mind?”</p><p>  The mage went to one of the drawers in his lab area and took what looked like a backpack to his worktable. He opened it, turned it carefully around… and a multitude of small and medium-sized objects slid out of it onto the wood. Mostly empty potion bottles, silver lab utensils, empty ingredient boxes. He got a hand inside and took out an honest to God black cauldron, that he left underneath the table, and a couple of extra burners. It was more than obvious that the little backpack could not logically contain so many things inside its tiny space.</p><p>“A bag of containing?”, asked Dean bewildered, “That´s…!”</p><p>“Expensive, I know”, Cas gave it a little shake before being satisfied.</p><p>“And you use it for <em>storage</em>?”, Dean said scandalized.</p><p>“It was a gift, and I rarely go out”</p><p>  He hated to leave his table in such a mess… but he did not want any of his labware items being stained by the wolf´s bodily fluids.</p><p>“Help me get it inside”, asked the mage, kneeling beside the wolf as he stretched the open end of the bag to a width unbelievable for anyone who ignored the magical nature of the item, “I will drop it in the forest when we go”</p><p>  A few minutes later, the corpse was out of sight, the carpet magically cleaned, and Cas was spraying some intense berry scent on him when there was a polite knock on the door. Dean hid again as Cas ran to the desk to get the message and walked quickly to the door.</p><p>“Thank you, Gadreel”, Cas said in a polite smile as he opened and saw the servant with his food tray.</p><p>“I came as soon as I could, my lord”</p><p>“It´s perfect. I think I´ll leave this here and have it after dinner”, he said, as an excuse in case the servant saw him run downstairs right away, with obviously no time to have eaten it all.</p><p>“Wise choice, master”</p><p>“Just one more thing”, rushed Cas, taking the message out, “Could you please take this to the communication barracks? I need this sent as soon as possible. It´s directed to the ranger post on the limit of the Wyvernon Forest. I need an answer for <em>yesterday</em>. Tell them I don´t care how much I need to pay, but I need to know <em>now</em>”</p><p>“Shall I send it as urgent, then?”</p><p>  Cas stopped to think for a second… it was mandatory that urgent messages were answered in an instant at any time by whatever means necessary, magical or otherwise. But… they were more expensive. And Uriel was responsible for them. If his brother decided to thoroughly go over the urgent messages sent that month, he could see what Cas had asked them about… and he preferred to avoid questions and keep all of this as private as possible.</p><p>“No. Just, you know. Offer money”</p><p>“Of course, milord. I will get to it right away”, smiled the servant.</p><p>  Castiel took the tray from his hands, still clutching the message with some fingers until the peasant took it from them.</p><p>“Much appreciated, thank you!”</p><p>  Without more preamble, he slammed the door with his foot and left the tray on the bed. It seemed to consist of whatever the cooks could have managed instantly. It had a silver platter with a beautiful display of cold cuts, another one with several tiny portions of different types of bread. A small plate had a salad made of leaves of different shapes and colors mixed with different nuts and small berries. A decorated ceramic bowl contained a mix of different fruits, all peeled and cut in small portions, bathed in some kind of sweet liquid. Next to it, with a bit of whipped cream on top, was a slice of what looked like…</p><p>“Pie!”, Dean said, his interest peaking.</p><p>“Yeah”, Cas mumbled, stepping back, “So, you eat. The message is on its way. I´ll have dinner while you eat. Get some rest. I hope we can have an answer when dinner is over”</p><p>“Okay, man. Thanks”, Dean smiled at him, green eyes grateful.</p><p>“I have to…”</p><p>“Go, yeah”</p><p>“Don´t leave, don´t make noise”, he reminded the hunter, finger pointed at him.</p><p>“I <em>know</em>. Move!”, he said with a shoving move of his hand.</p><p>  Cas nodded and whirled to run out the door.</p><p> </p><p>  He ran. Along stonewall corridors decorated with portraits, with tapestries, with sets of armor. Glowing orange crystals illuminated every hallway, set into the stone by cold silver claws. He tried his best not to fall down the spiral staircase, and almost slid when he took the turn that would lead him to the antechamber of the Great Hall.</p><p>  There, in front of the door, he stopped, panting. He closed his eyes for a second, letting his lungs recover, willing his heart to lower its fast pulsing rate. He did <em>not</em> feel like eating. His tired body begged him to just return to bed, and his headache sternly demanded him the same. He dismissed it all and took a deep breath. </p><p>  And after adopting a serene expression, he opened the wooden double door. </p><p>  The room was vast and magnificent. White pristine walls rose up to the high ceiling, supported by strong columns that were richly decorated with golden vines. One of the walls was occupied by two high picture windows, decorated with a fine black metal lattice; that flanked a glass balcony, with the same decoration, that led to the garden. Cream-coloured velvet curtains hung at the sides, held by golden fringed ropes.</p><p>  The wall opposite the windows displayed a huge family portrait, indirectly illuminated by delicately placed white glowing crystals. Cas could not help but gaze at it for a second. In the center, his mother. She sat royally on a rich ceremonial throne, located at the top of a small staircase. Cas knew it was their Hearing Room, where they received dignitaries from other houses. Around her, standing in different steps of the stairs, her nine children. Fourteen-years-old Cas looked like a baby, all round cheeks and spiky hair. The young mage felt his heart wrench for a second, as it always did when he saw the portrait, mixed feelings flowing over him.</p><p>  On one hand, he felt that if his father was not to be on the painting, the rest of the ones that weren´t present anymore shouldn´t be either. It was only fair.</p><p>  On the other hand, if a new painting was done… he would not be able to see their faces anymore. At least he still had that image of them, that moment of thirteen years ago.</p><p>  He sighed and stepped into the room, closing behind him. His youngest brother looked up at him, all blue eyes and short golden hair.</p><p>“Castiel!”, he said, smiling cheerfully.</p><p>  Cas couldn’t help but smile back. He was five years younger than him, but even though he was already twenty-two, the youngest of the house would always inspire a protective feeling in him. He wore an embroidered red tunic with a white sash, along with white linen pants, comfortable and simple. He had been perching on the wall, nose inside one of his many journals, until he had raised his eyes towards him.</p><p>“Hi, Samandriel. How are you today?”, he asked his little brother.</p><p>“Fine! I am very proud of my progress. Today I managed to set a bush on fire, and kept it going for more than two minutes before I cleanly extinguished it”</p><p>  He was an elementalist, one whose magic controlled different aspects of the basic four elements: fire, earth, water, and air. He had a higher affinity for fire than for the other elements, although he could use a bit of air too. Aside from the kinetomancy, movement magic, that every member of the Mighty family had always had. </p><p>  Cas smiled fondly at him. Samandriel was the youngest of them all, the last son, and that implied he was the least powerful of all of them. Nevertheless, he trained constantly, working hard every day to surpass the low expectations everyone had put on him since he was born. And he was managing. What he lacked in raw talent, he was compensating through effort and will.</p><p>“That´s amazing, Samandriel. I would never be able to do that”, he answered earnestly, “You should feel very proud”</p><p>  That made his little brother beam, and Cas felt that his weariness leaving him for a second at the sight.</p><p>  Looking out one of the windows was Uriel, hands laced behind his back, his shaved head glinting slightly in the golden light of the room. A tunic hung to his ankles, and it was of a purple so dark, that it seemed black until light shone directly on it, making violet glints shine from the flowing robe. He seemed pensive. He always had a serious, even ominous air to himself. He was two years older than Cas, and they had a cordial relationship.</p><p>  Uriel was an arcanist, a mage that performed magic by drawing sigils and infusing them with energy so that they performed complex magic results. Any mage could draw and infuse a sigil they knew before, but only arcanists had enough understanding and connection with the magic symbology to examine a sigil and understand every thread of the matrix that led to what it would do, to enhance it, to modify it… and even create new ones from scratch. Cas would never understand arcane magic. It required a strange mix of math, physics and magical instinct that was unfathomed to him.</p><p>  His brother was very powerful. He had seen him raise a hand and watched appear a wall of brightly glowing protection symbols around a person once- into thin air. Several at once. Without needing to draw anything, without needing blood to power them up, without even needing a <em>surface</em> for them to exist on. And Cas was pretty sure he could come up with a new sigil as he went the moment he needed it, just by thinking about it for a second.   </p><p>“Hello, Castiel”, he murmured in a distracted tone, not turning back.</p><p>“Good evening, Uriel”, nodded Cas back.</p><p>  And… there was no one else in the room. He´d been very lucky, not being the only one late.</p><p>“Do you know where everyone is?”, he asked the little one.</p><p>“Hum, no, sorry”, Samandriel answered.</p><p>“It´s okay”</p><p>“So, what did you do this week?”</p><p>“The usual. I studied, researched… I went to the Academy yesterday. Did some combat training, and they gave me some ingredients I needed”</p><p>  <em>That… I ruined</em> <em>on the way back</em>, Cas remembered. He had to continue that at some point…   </p><p>“And how did the combat training go?</p><p>  He chatted amicably with his youngest sibling as he darted some curious looks to Uriel. The arcanist had his brow slightly knitted, apparently lost in thought as his eyes watched distractedly the darkening night. The door creaked as it opened, getting Castiel´s attention.</p><p>  A blond, tall man entered the room. His clothes were visibly expensive and luxurious. He wore a kilt doublet of what looked like pure threaded silver, with a lattice detail in black making contrast, and similar dark pants. His eyes searched the room until they found Castiel, to whom he dedicated a lopsided smile.</p><p>  Cas would always be bewildered by how different all his brothers looked from each other. Most had spiky hair like his, but some were blond, some had darker hair tones. Several of his siblings´ eyes were blue, like his, but Uriel´s were black- and Gabriel´s, honey golden.</p><p>  Lucifer´s… were red.</p><p>“Castiel…”, said his big brother with a leering smile, enjoying every syllable, “Just the man I wanted to see”</p><p>  Castiel blinked surprised as he got to him and passed an arm over his shoulders, to push him gently and make him walk alongside him.</p><p>“Would you walk with me, brother? I´d like a word”</p><p>  His relationship with Lucifer had always been distant, that he remembered. His only memories with him involved teasing of some kind, back when they were kids; like the times he used his powers on Cas to control his body against his will- as a prank, of course. He could not remember a time when Lucifer had wanted to have a conversation with him. </p><p>  His brother directed him to the garden, opening for him the glass door that was to Uriel´s right. Cas glimpsed his brooding brother watching them intensely before he was taken out to the peaceful night. </p><p> </p><p>“Ah, isn´t it beautiful”, murmured Lucifer, a well-fed cat air to him.</p><p>  Crickets sang in the quiet garden, the wind rushed among the leaves of the high trees. Cas looked around, a little bit tense, more for lack of understanding than for anything else. His brother had never done anything wrong, to him or anyone, at least that he ever heard of… but his eyes had always unsettled him, and all of this was very uncharacteristic of him.</p><p>“Uh… Yes, it is”</p><p>“Little brother, I got a favor to ask. It´s about healing magic”</p><p>“Oh”, Cas said, and he immediately relaxed.</p><p>  A long time ago, his father had made it clear what a miracle and gift it was that most of his sons had each mastered different branches of magic. That allowed them to always have an expert to come to in a time of need, and they had always been encouraged to count on each other.</p><p>  It didn´t matter that Cas was not close to Lucifer, he´d come to him with any kind of doubt about shadowmancy. So it made perfect sense that he came to him to ask about healing magic.</p><p>“Of course, Lucifer. What is it?”, he asked compliantly.</p><p>  His brother sighed and took his arm away from his shoulders, to put both of his hands on his hips, look still lost in the darkened garden.</p><p>“How much do you know about souls, brother?”</p><p>  Cas blinked.</p><p>“Do you mean in a… medical sense?”</p><p>“No, in the biblical one”, Lucifer turned to him with a ton of irony in his eyes, before sighing and adding in a more polite tone, “Yes, in a medical sense. What makes us <em>us</em>, what defines us, what stays with us every time we go to bed and our bodies switch off”</p><p>  Castiel turned his head towards the garden, frowning in concentration.</p><p>“I´ve… never studied a lot on the matter”, he admitted, “What´s exactly the problem you have?”</p><p>  Lucifer pressed his lips, apparently unhappy, and looked away. And before Castiel´s eyes, he… shrank a little.</p><p>“You see… after… it´s decided if it´s Michael or me who leads the House in the future… the other one will automatically go to Heaven´s Army”</p><p>  Castiel nodded, knowing already.</p><p>“So, I´m… a bit concerned”, Lucifer admitted, uncomfortable, “I mean… I hear things there are pretty brutal. That the medicine is pretty advanced there, they even make… transplants?”</p><p>  Surgery was not the most explored of the medical disciplines, but a war would always make progress appear on that front. Even though it wasn´t common in the center territories, transplants of different organs were something daily in the medical barracks of the army.</p><p>“Yeah, they do”, Castiel provided.</p><p>“And no one knows exactly where souls are, right?”, his brother continued “So, what if I get like, a transplant and… I get someone else´s soul in me? Like, a bit of someone else, bugging me? Could that even happen?”</p><p>  And to his enormous surprise, Lucifer turned concerned eyes to him.</p><p>  Cas stared wide-eyed for a second. He´d never seen Lucifer display emotions that could be cataloged as weaknesses. But his brother… was afraid. He was coming to him for counsel… because he was afraid about his future.</p><p>“Uh… I don´t… think you should worry about that, Lucifer”, he babbled, a bit out of balance still, “As… far as I´ve read, it is believed that if the soul is in an organ, it´s in the brain. And no one has ever done a brain transplant”</p><p>“No one, ever?”, asked his brother.</p><p>“No one ever”, he stated.</p><p>“Do you think that could be possible?”</p><p>“A… brain transplant?”, Castiel blinked in disbelief.</p><p>“Yeah. Or you know, like, I don´t know. Getting someone else´s soul in me”, Lucifer made a grimace of disgust, “God forbid… Could they be moved, stored in some way, or transferred or whatever?”</p><p>“Soul… transference?”, Cas murmured, puzzled.</p><p>“If you wanna call it like that”</p><p>  The healing mage squinted and tilted his head, concentrating.</p><p>“I… think someone has attempted it in the past”, he murmured, “But I don’t believe anyone has succeeded ever. And I seriously doubt that any doctor would do that to you even if they could, no matter how injured you get”</p><p>“How can you be sure? What if I get like, severely injured and they try to move me to another body to survive?”</p><p>  Castiel blinked at him in confusion.</p><p>“Lucifer… healing magic deals with the <em>body</em>. Our awareness can get into someone else´s issues, and coax them to heal, to move, to restore. Of course, also to tear and die, if that´s our wish- but again, no doctor would do that. Yes, the soul could maybe be placed in an organ, and healing magic deals with organs… But both climatemancers and elementalists deal with air- with wildly different results and methods”</p><p>  His brother had very interested eyes on him.</p><p>“What I´m trying to get at, is… The soul cannot be altered by healing magic. Or changed, or moved around. At least, I firmly believe it can´t- until science shows me otherwise. So you don´t have to worry”, he gave him a very small smile, “If you fall in battle and end up in the medical bays, no matter how difficult things get, no one can get another soul into you even if they tried. Or move yours. But then again- doctors heal, care, fix. No one will perform strange or desperate experiments on you”</p><p>  Lucifer still looked out into the night for some moments, nodding, with Castiel´s worried eyes on him every second.</p><p>“Okay. Thank you, brother”, he smiled back at him, “I feel better”</p><p>“Do you think Michael will lead the house, then?”, asked Cas frowning- to his knowledge, that hadn´t been settled yet.</p><p>“Oh, I don’t know. I just wanted to, you know, contemplate all possibilities. Thanks”</p><p>  Lucifer turned and entered through the glass door with no more words. Cas stared at him bewildered for a second, then shook his head and got inside after him.    </p><p> </p><p>  As Castiel and Lucifer came back into the room, the double wooden doors were opening again. Cas saw Gabriel and Michael entering together, pausing for a second to close the door. Michael kept an intense gaze on Gabriel, who seemed a bit uncomfortable.</p><p>“Just think about it”, Michael said as a goodbye.</p><p>  And he started to walk away from Gabriel towards Samandriel… but stopped right in his tracks as he saw Castiel and Lucifer entering back from the garden.</p><p>  Michael was wearing a royal blue doublet similar to Lucifer´s, opulent and classy, but his embroidery was golden. Seeing him standing next to his youngest brother, Cas realized once again how much Michael looked like an old Samandriel. He had blond hair, long enough to comb neatly towards one side; and clear blue eyes, clearer than Castiel´s. He usually portrayed a serious look, the stance of a soldier, all disciplined and strict. At that moment, his brow was slightly furrowing towards Lucifer, disapproval on his eyes.</p><p>“Hiya, brother”, Lucifer smiled innocently at him.</p><p>  Michael shook his head slightly, letting out an exasperated small huff of air, before resuming walking towards the youngest of the house.</p><p>“Come on, don´t be that way!”, Lucifer complained.</p><p>  Michael didn´t acknowledge him, talking kindly with Samandriel; and Lucifer made a dismissive sound and walked to Uriel´s side to also stare out the window.</p><p>  Castiel took a deep breath and let out a sigh. Michael and Lucifer had been competitive with each other for as long as he remembered, but even though he rarely spoke to any of them, he felt it had gotten worse with the passing of the years. He fully knew that all of that was because of the conditions of their birth.   </p><p>  Every House had economical power because of their magical power, which was tied to their bloodline. And apparently that power of the bloodline, for some reason, <em>wore out</em> as offspring was born. No studies that Castiel had ever read had given a clear explanation of why- it was just the way things were. The firstborn was always the strongest one, the second one a bit less. The first four sons of a House were always distinctly more powerful than the rest, and they were known as the Four Stars- Morningstar for the first one, Eveningstar for the second, Northernstar and Southernstar for the next ones. After four children, power significantly diluted; but in a world where every mage was valuable, having a huge amount of offspring was almost mandatory amongst the nobility.</p><p>  The problem in their family had been that in the first birth, two children had been born. Twins. Michael and Lucifer.</p><p>  They had always been opposites. Michael was an incredibly powerful lightomancer. He could not only will light to <em>be</em>, to appear out of nowhere just by main desire- but he could also use it to smite his enemies. That is, burn them from the inside out. Lightomancy also had some purifying capabilities, that would end certain curses or remove impurities from something or someone… and it could also <em>create</em>. Light and creation had some kind of bond, and the most capable lightomancers could create something out of light and will it to materialize. Lucifer, on his part, was a master shadowmancer. He could not only will darkness to appear, but to use it, too- binding someone else´s shadow to control them, creating shadows that attacked, or making some illnesses or curses worse… and could <em>will</em> something to be destroyed with a snap of his fingers, since darkness correlated with destruction.</p><p>  Their joined birth had resulted in two incredibly strong magical talents with basically the same level of power; which was good for the House reputation, and good for the kingdom, always in need of strong warriors. However, it also posed a problem for heritage. Traditionally, the Morningstar would be the one to lead the house after the father stepped out from those responsibilities, or after he passed away. Their parents had let them all know many years ago that which of them would be considered Morningstar would be decided when they got older, and that until that point, none of them were. Their mother ruled the House for the moment.</p><p>  At which point that would happen, it was very unclear. Right now, both Lucifer and Michael were thirty-five; which was a very acceptable age to get married and continue a bloodline amongst the nobility, whose life expectancy was over a hundred years old. It was odd to Castiel that it hadn´t been fixed already- and he believed it was problematic, too. All these years Michael and Lucifer had remained civil, polite; maybe Lucifer was a bit teasing and Michael a bit disapproving. But deep down, Castiel knew it damaged their relationship, that they considered each other eternal rivals… and them looking for allies in several moments had caused all the brothers to drift apart a bit from each other.</p><p>  He widened his eyes suddenly. Michael talking to Gabriel, Lucifer talking to him... He winced as he closed his eyes, repressing a moan.</p><p>“How´s it going, Cassie?”</p><p>  Gabriel had walked up to him, a tired smile on his lips. He had long, dark blond hair, eyes of honey and gold, and a rounded nose that Cas had always found a bit funny. But maybe it was an association thing. Gabriel was always making jokes and trying to make him laugh. He wore a tunic of a dark brown color that reminded Castiel of the bark of an old tree, that clung flatteringly to his chest and waist thanks to a leather belt with a golden buckle. Gold hems shone at his neck and short sleeves, which gave way to the white shirt he was wearing underneath. A golden sash was tied to his hips. The gold decorations made his honey eyes shine, as always. Gabriel dressed simply, like Cas; but he was a little vain, and he knew what suited him best.</p><p>  And his neck was exposed enough so that the beginning of his clavicle was visible.</p><p>“Neck”, pointed out Castiel in a deadpanned sigh.</p><p>“Oh. Thanks”, Gabriel smiled.</p><p>  Castiel shook his head in disapproval as his brother untied the sash and twirled it around his neck, using it as a scarf and hiding the revealing shirt and tunic.</p><p>  Chastity was one of the highest values in nobility. Showing one´s neck or chest, being male or female, was considered scandalous, and frowned upon. So of course, his rebellious brother usually walked around flashing everyone a bit. But he usually had ways to hide his skin from their mother, even if just with illusion magic. If he was caught in such a disrespectful fashion, he would surely be disciplined in some way.</p><p>  Michael, Samandriel, Lucifer, Uriel, Castiel himself- they always wore their shirts buttoned up to their necks. The only difference in summer were the thinner fabrics, and maybe arms exposed if the occasion was casual enough. Aside from Gabriel, and from… Dean the other night, Castiel hadn´t seen the exposed skin of another besides hands, faces and arms since he used to bathe with his brothers, when they were practically babies. Other people he had healed, their wounds hadn´t been so serious, and he could do it all through their clothing with magic. His situation was not a rare one, given that he hadn´t gotten married yet. Some nobles visited brothels to skip that restriction… but Cas truly wasn´t into that.</p><p>  However, Castiel was used enough to the sight of his brother´s throat to simply roll his eyes instead of feeling uncomfortable for it, and he chose to once again let it past.</p><p>“They are at it again, aren´t they?”, he murmured to his closest brother.</p><p>“Yep. Politics”, Gabriel sighed with a roll of his eyes.</p><p>  They walked away from the rest, closest to the family portrait, to speak in low voices and barely moving their lips.</p><p>“I should have known Lucifer was up to something”, grumbled Cas.</p><p>  Gabriel shot an alarmed look at him.</p><p>“Did he talk to you?”</p><p>“Yes. He wanted to know things about… souls. Ugh, and I thought he was seeking comfort…”, Cas felt like a complete idiot.</p><p>“Jeez...”</p><p>“Gabriel, what´s going on?”, asked Castiel with a frown of worry.</p><p>  His brother let out an exaggerated sigh and glimpsed at Michael´s back.</p><p>“Well, I don´t know exactly, but I´d bet my sweet ass that… time´s up”</p><p>  Castiel´s eyes widened.</p><p>“Is it now, then? The final test?”</p><p>“I think so. Apparently, mum has assigned a task to Michael, something he wanted <em>very insistently</em> my help with”, Gabriel answered with a slightly annoyed tone, “Made all kinds of promises, too. Said it entailed research- maybe she´s asked them for a groundbreaking scientific breakthrough or something”</p><p>“What did you say?”</p><p>“That I´m as interested in that little quarrel as I am in all of the Four Stars shit they keep trying to drag me into”</p><p>  Castiel gave him a compassionate smile. The last thing Gabriel Southernstar wanted was to be intertwined with politics and nobility responsibilities, yet his condition as fourth son entailed that he sometimes <em>had</em> to take part. His brothers always tried to get him more involved, and they struggled with Gabriel´s neverending intent on slacking off.</p><p>“I bet they have tried to get Uriel involved, too”, Castiel muttered, looking covertly to his brooding, silent sibling, “And I thought I was not powerful enough to matter. Do you think they´ll try to get Samandriel, too?”</p><p>“Pff. Not if I can help it. Mother always stated that <em>all of this</em> was between them and that the rest shouldn’t interfere- and as big fan as I am of bending the rules, I´m more than eager for this shitshow to splash into the least people possible. Please, Cassie, whatever you do- don´t get tangled up in all of this”, Gabriel begged with an exhausted demeanor.</p><p>“Don´t worry, I have enough things on my mind to get into politics now”, he sighed.</p><p>  He frowned a bit at his headache, and apparently, Gabriel noticed, because he gave him an inquisitive look.</p><p>“You okay?”</p><p>“Yes, I´m just… tired”</p><p>  Castiel looked up to find Gabriel´s attention solely focused on him, for the first time since he came into the room… and a ball of nerves tangled up in his stomach.</p><p>  His brother was a biomancer. Life magic allowed biomancers to be in total tune with nature. Making plants grow, communicating with animals, and controlling life matter at will. Gabriel could transform someone else, or even himself, into an animal, or into another completely different person.</p><p>  That allowed him to have some animal senses, too, when he wanted.</p><p>  He saw, panic rising, how the pupils in the center of Gabriel´s golden orbs turned into slits, like the ones of a beast. He tilted his head… and inhaled sharply, sniffing.</p><p>  Castiel gulped, fingernails digging on his palm as he clutched his fists in a nervous gesture. He had feared just this, but the plotting games of his brothers had distracted him from not getting too close to Gabriel. Would the sharp berry perfume he wore cover the wolf´s scent? <em>Dean´s scent?</em></p><p>  Gabriel´s eyes widened sharply. He had smelled something.</p><p>“What happened to you…?”, murmured his brother slowly, prowling forwards like a cat for a second.</p><p>  But as Castiel´s heart pulsed, mind racing to find a way to explain himself, a little bell rang.</p><p>  And all of them froze.</p><p>  Every conversation stopped, every movement paused in mid-way. All their faces turned to the small bell on the wall that had just rung.</p><p>  And they immediately moved through the room, in tense steps, in silence. Each of them fell into their places in a dance they knew so well, they had danced so many times, that as usual they finished in unison. They stayed in a line, from oldest to youngest. Michael, Lucifer, Gabriel, Uriel, Castiel, Samandriel. All of them with a perfect posture, eyes locked upfront.</p><p>“You and I”, Cas heard Gabriel whisper, “are not done”</p><p>  The door creaked, opened by the same servant that had made the bell rang from the hallway, but none of them moved.</p><p>  Naomi of the House of the Mighty entered the room, and the light seemed to dim a bit at her entrance. Her dress of deep dark blue was as luxurious as the garment of the second most powerful person in the Kingdom of Heaven should be. Her blond hair was perfectly held in a silvery net decorated by pearls. Master wielder of lightomancy, elemental magic, kinetomancy and mind-bending; her vast power was felt in the air, the slightest buzz of energy around her.</p><p>  She got to the center of the room with unhurried steps and stopped in front of her children, passing a look from right to left, gazing at each one of their faces for a moment. Then she made a little pleased smile, and continued walking to the next room, the Great Hall.</p><p>“Come, my children. Let´s dine”</p><p>  Michael started walking in her wake, then all the rest of them in a cascade practiced over the years.</p><p>  Just before leaving after his brothers, Cas glimpsed again at the portrait with ten members. He felt it was mocking them, reminding them of the three siblings that weren´t with them any longer.  </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is one of the chapters where the influence of "The Way to a Mans Heart is through Chlamydia" can be most seen (what a sentence, huh? xD). I absolutely loved the concept of Cas´s family, and I felt it would really be like that. When I started to plan this fanfic, that family came to my mind- especially Samandriel being the baby brother *_* </p><p>I am particularly proud of all the twins-drama between Lucifer and Michael! All the "haha who will lead the family" that starts the feud between them. Also, the Four Stars thing... its just to explain why the archangels have a vastly bigger amount of power than Cas and the rest of the an... nobles of the Mighty family xD. But the difference in power between the first four descendants and the rest, and how power diminishes as people have kids, is canon in all of the 4 noble families in the realm.  </p><p>In case anyone is curious, the current ages of all the present brothers are: Lucifer and Michael- 35, Gabriel- 31, Uriel- 29, Castiel- 27, Samandriel- 22. Again, they might feel a bit too old- but you know, War of Heaven, aftermath... Please bear with me :) Remember that life expectancy of nobles is high, so it´s totally normal not to have a bunch of children by 35 despite this being medieval! xD</p><p>Dont worry about all the types of magic, Cas will explain them in more detail to Dean at some point :) For now just know there are 9 types and each brother is specialized in one of them! And every one of them can do kinetomancy to one degree or another. Did you like them? Ive tried to put every angel ability shown in the show and categorize it in different specializations ^^ Kinetomancy is for flying/teleporting, we´ve already seen Cas´ healing abilities, Michael is specialized in smiting through light, Gabriel in mind magic/illusions and transforming himself and others (life magic), Samandriel once in the show made a bush burst into flame... </p><p>Oh, and also. No one knows who is Morningstar and who Evenstar between Lucifer and Michael, but there is no doubt about Gabriel being Southernstar. So... where´s Northernstar? ^^</p><p>I ALMOST FORGOT SOMETHING SUPER IMPORTANT!!!<br/>- Thanks to Captain Jack Winchester for helping me name the different types of magic!! Specially "kinetomancy" (*cheff kiss*)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Thank the Lord</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Road So Far: with Dean still hurt and in his room but more than willing to leave already, Cas goes to have dinner with his family. There´s still lingering Corruption in him after the wolf attack, but he believes he can he can hide it. There´s some kind of feud brewing between Michael and Lucifer, in relation to a test their mother has put to determine which of them will lead the family, since they are twins- but Cas can´t be less interested in it. Castiel was literally saved by the bell as Gabriel was starting to realize there was something wrong with him.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Some worldbuilding in this chapter. This is the first universe I create and I am honestly very very happy how it turned out. Again I must mention the influence of The Way To a Man´s Heart is Through Chlamydia in this chapter, since it really made an impression on me: Naomi being the mother, Samandriel being the youngest, everything being really strict, and the scene with all the siblings lined up from oldest to youngest... In that fanfic, they are a rich, religious family. I changed some of the brothers, of course changed their destinies (some are gone lol) but I think all of that is what started to create the nobility in my head ^^ </p><p>Really hope you like this one! </p><p>This was written to this extended version of Inside the Tam´s House from Firefly OST- it´s my "we are rich" go-to music (xD):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZtOlHoYhtA&amp;t=29s</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  The Great Hall shone in its usual splendor. Dark wood and golden filigree were illuminated by candlelight, the picture windows that opened into the dark night covered by red velvet curtains.</p><p>  Every family member unhurriedly approached an already set wooden table, surrounded by servants that waited with a patient stance, their hands clasped at their backs. One of them gently moved the chair at the head of the table to gallantly help Lady Naomi sit, while her six children sat in the long ends.</p><p>  Naomi delicately placed her elbows on the wood and raised her hands; and Michael and Lucifer, each of them sitting at her right and left respectively, took them. Michael also took Uriel´s hand, who offered his other one to Castiel. Gabriel took Lucifer´s and Samandriel´s hands, and Cas closed the circle extending an arm across the table towards his youngest brother.</p><p>“Bless us, O God, for our food and our drink”, enunciated Naomi with a peaceful voice, “Since you redeemed us and delivered us from evil, we pray to you. Please protect our household, and protect our Lord, who in return protects us, so we can protect those below us. We thank The Lord, and we thank You. Amen”</p><p>“Amen”, echoed the boys.</p><p>  And as they lowered their hands, the servants stepped forward to take the round lids of the covered silver trays placed amongst opulent silverware and lit candles. A mix of different smells filled the air as steam rose at the movement, and the different waiters started serving portions into each commensal´s plates, wine in their goblets. No one moved until they stepped back and Naomi took the silverware in her hands. Then all mages relaxed slightly and each of them started to taste the food, cutlery clicking.</p><p>“Two Seraphs have fallen in battle”, she said without preamble. </p><p>  Everyone froze and looked up at their mother, reactions varying between Michael´s and Lucifer´s serious masks, to Castiel´s and Samandriel´s expressions of consternation and angst.</p><p>  The Seraphs were the title of the most important generals in Heaven´s Army. They were reduced in number, incredibly powerful, decisive for battle, and a huge awful loss for the whole kingdom.</p><p>  And each of them was, of course, a mage, a noble. Someone they might know.</p><p>“Who?”, asked Gabriel with a guarded expression.</p><p>“Their identities have not transpired yet”, said Naomi in a calm voice, fork and knife cutting delicately into the venison steak on her plate, “But I wanted to warn you. Some of you might receive a letter soon, and I wanted you to be prepared”</p><p>  Some of her sons nodded, worried expressions on their faces.</p><p>“How´s the war going, Mother?”, asked Lucifer.</p><p>  Castiel shook his head a little, bewildered for a second upon realizing how commonly a phrase like that was heard in their dinners. He took his fork and tried to eat something, sternly ignoring the icepick nailing the center of his forehead.</p><p>“There´s recently been a strong offensive that has shattered the outer defense lines”, Naomi explained calmly, “Hence the casualties. But it was appropriately dealt with, and now for weeks, there hasn´t been a single attack”</p><p>“That´s suspicious”, said Michael, a serious frown on his face.</p><p>“It is”, admitted their mother, “Everyone assumes it´s just the calm before the storm. Or maybe that the last attack took too much from the enemy, and they need some recovery time. However it is, time is time, and the pause in hostilities can prove useful for us. Without lowering their guard, Heaven´s Army is using this recess to reinforce their lines and build stronger defense posts. Soldiers are being relocated, in an attempt to create a stronger barrier that won´t be surpassed again- so new recruits and reserve soldiers might be called to arms in the next months”</p><p>  Naomi moved her eyes from Michael to her fourth son.</p><p>“Gabriel”, she said in a firm, calm tone, “Have you reached your decision yet?” </p><p>  Castiel saw his brother tense slightly, not meeting his mother´s gaze, eyes on his plate. Gabriel still had to state if he would join Heaven´s Army as a soldier, or find a spouse and expand the bloodline.</p><p>  Cas knew full well that he did not want to do <em>either</em> of them.</p><p>“Not yet, mother”, he answered in a guarded, gentle tone.</p><p>“You might be needed in the confrontation, should you end up a warrior, my son”, Naomi answered, and then she stated in a tone so calm yet so firm that left no room for doubt that her will would be abided by, “You will choose within the next two months, Southernstar”</p><p>  Cas couldn’t help but frown a bit in distress, looking at Gabriel. His brother kept, as most of them around their mother, an inexpressive mask as he nodded- but Castiel knew him, and could almost sense his anxiety on his own stomach. </p><p>“Yes, mother”, he answered lightly.</p><p>“Thank you”, she said with a small smile, and turned towards the end of the table, smile widening, “Samandriel, my youngest. How are your studies progressing?”</p><p>  As the kid recalled his last training session, and Lucifer congratulated him, Castiel´s attention was called by a movement performed in his direction. Gadreel was trying to catch his eyes, having discretely entered the Great Hall and now standing near the door, waiting to be given permission to approach. Castiel nodded, and the servant went to him and passed him a folded note in perfect silence, retreating afterwards.</p><p><em>  The communication barracks were already closed, milord</em>, Gadreel had written, <em>I pushed and offered money as you instructed, and they sent the message as an exception- but even if the forest rangers answer throughout the night, no one will be there to receive the answer until tomorrow. They assured me the information would get to you with the morning´s first light. </em></p><p>  Castiel closed his eyes for a second. Thinking about Michael´s and Lucifer´s final test had made him forget momentarily about Dean. He opened his eyes again, biting his lower lip in the slightest. It had indeed been very late when he asked the message to be sent. But he could not help but feel frustrated. Dean would leave that night. Whatever information that arrived tomorrow would be of no use to him.</p><p>  <em>Unless…</em>, he thought as his eyes widened slightly.</p><p> “Everything alright, brother?”</p><p>  Cas snapped his eyes up to Uriel, who was looking at him and the note he had already folded… and who was getting the attention of his whole family towards him with his question.</p><p>“Yes”, he answered immediately, and he improvised babbling, “Just… something I needed. For the Academy. It will have to wait until tomorrow. It´s alright. It was just, preferable to have it sooner”</p><p>“Is your investigation progressing correctly, my son?”, asked his mother.</p><p>“I… have in fact been able to find a new piece of information recently”, Castiel admitted begrudgingly, “But unfortunately, I still have not reached a satisfactory conclusion”</p><p>“Science takes time”, answered Uriel, “That is its nature”</p><p>“I´m sure that if anyone can do it, it's you, Castiel”, Samandriel smiled at him.</p><p>  Castiel smiled back thankfully to his little brother.  </p><p>“You are the youngest mage to ever acquire full access to the Great Library of the High Academy of Magic, and that’s just a testament of the paramount importance of your work", stated his mother in a proud, pleased tone, "Finding a cure for the Corruption would change everything, and provide the utmost honor and distinguishment to our House. Do not despair, and persevere in your efforts”</p><p>“I will, Mother”, said Castiel, trying to smile slightly.</p><p>“Uriel, there are some visits that need organizing in the next few weeks”, she said as she turned to his older brother.</p><p>  Castiel left his eyes on her for a moment before lowering them to his plate. His mother… he loved her. And he respected her, of course he did. He… thought he understood her, to a degree. She only wanted what she thought was best for her family. She was protective, and tried to lead her children- that she had practically raised on her own- with an iron fist in pursuit of driving them towards excellence. He knew that if she was pleased, she would be her strongest, fiercest ally.</p><p>  But… if she believed that his actions led him in the wrong direction… she would; for his sake and the sake of their family, of course… react in very… stern ways. He had been before at the end of her… not wrath per se, maybe deep disappointment; and… He felt his fingers go numb and cold at memories. He inhaled deeply and let the air out slowly. As long as she was pleased, everything was alright, and she was pleased for now. That´s what counted.  </p><p>  Of course, it was her reaction the one he feared the most if Dean was discovered. He would not stop following his beliefs, even with the shadow of his mother hovering over him. He was a healer, and as such he would not turn his back on someone that needed help. He had found his own ways to secretly rebel- what she didn´t know, wouldn´t hurt her, and neither would him.</p><p>  He was also very aware that he did not want to find out what she would do to Dean, or him, if she found out about the hunter.  </p><p>  Thinking about Dean got him to his previous train of thought. He remembered the scene he had lived in the forest with the giant wolves. He also remembered Dean talking about him not spending much time in the field. The truth is, he didn´t. He had gone through years of training, but in closed classrooms, in controlled- in other words, <em>fake</em>- environments. Which was perfect for initiating any learning, but not enough to excel on anything. He saw now what an awful performance he had made: unprepared, unable to react calmly and rationally… It was not that he lacked the abilities- but just the experience. If he could just…</p><p>“I believe that Castiel will be the best choice to take care of that one”</p><p>  Cas snapped his eyes back up upon hearing his name, completely lost on what the conversation was about. He looked to his mother, who tilted her head looking at him.</p><p>“Will you act as a gracious host, Castiel, seeing to the needs of the guest?”</p><p>  Castiel froze, eyes widening slightly, Dean on his mind. Had his mother found out? How?? And how had she known what a poor excuse of a host he had been?? Not feeding him, not…</p><p>  Gabriel´s urgent eyes made him say what he knew couldn’t be a wrong answer.</p><p>“Yes, Mother. Of course”</p><p>“Splendid”, she said smiling, “You will be the one responsible for preparations, then”</p><p>  Cas blinked a couple of times until he caught up. His mother had been instructing Uriel to organize several visits that dignitaries were going to make to their household. He had apparently been pointed as the organizer of one of them.</p><p>“<em>Three… days…</em>”, mouthed Gabriel furtively in his direction.</p><p>“<em>Who…</em>?”, he mouthed back.</p><p>“<em>Blessed…</em>”, Gabriel said, raising his eyebrows on a <em>obviously, you dumbass</em> kind of expression.</p><p>  Cas closed his eyes to let out a tiny sigh. Of course. It just made sense he was the host of that meeting. The healer nodded his thanks to his brother as a knot of mixed feelings cozied itself on the bottom of his stomach. It… had been months since he´d last seen his fiancée.</p><p>  After that, not happy about having being caught with his mind wandering twice already, he really tried to follow the rest of the conversations, but it was hard. It did not help at all that his plans regarding Dean made more sense the more he thought about them. His mind wandered over and over towards the hunter; and the excitement for the new ideas he was weaving broke the knot on his stomach… and he suddenly found out that he was actually very hungry. He had, after all, skipped breakfast and lunch. He concentrated on eating and trying to keep track, failing horribly on the second task.</p><p>  His growing wariness made everything he heard sound even duller than it was. The tendency in growth that the crops of their lands had had in the last two months. Something about an annoying new mayor on Lebania that kept asking for funds, and that Lucifer was bickering about. Silk importations from the Nialia region had fewer taxes now. Dessert was good, though.    </p><p>“Thank you for your company, my children”, Naomi announced finally, “Please, give me a moment with your two eldest brothers. There are matters that we need to discuss”</p><p>  Castiel sat up immediately. First, because he was more than happy to run away from internal politics.</p><p>  Second, because he had to get away from Gabriel, as fast as he could.</p><p> </p><p>“Cassie!”, he heard behind him.</p><p>  The mage hurriedly passed the double doors, leaving the antechamber behind, and moved in a half-jog towards his room. Maybe Gabriel would get bored, dismiss everything.</p><p>  He realized moments after that, he should have known better.</p><p>“Hello, brother”, smirked Gabriel in front of him.</p><p>  Cas halted to a stop. His elder sibling had just appeared in front of him. The healer had been able to pass the staircase and advance half of the hallway before being caught... Not good enough.</p><p>“Please, Gabriel. I´m really tired, and I want to return to my room”, he said in a serious tone, walking past him.</p><p>  Of course, Gabriel reappeared in his way again.</p><p>“You in a hurry? Got a hot date?”, he wiggled his eyebrows.</p><p>  Castiel pressed his lips in annoyance and chose to ignore the remark, again walking past him.</p><p>“Hello, brother”, Gabriel reappeared in his way.</p><p>“Hello, brother”, another Gabriel tilted his head in front of him when he went to take a step to the left.</p><p>“Hello, brother”</p><p>“Hello, brother”</p><p>“Hello, brother”</p><p>“Hello, brother”, sang at unison a chorus of Gabriels.</p><p>  Castiel let out a frustrated sigh. He was suddenly surrounded by a circle consisting of six copies of his brother, all of them smirking towards him.</p><p>“<em>Gabriel</em>”, he said in a very annoyed tone, “Enough with the mind-bending”</p><p>“Do I look like a ditchable prom date to you?”, his brother asked, raising his eyebrows in defiance and looking at him pointedly.</p><p>“The <em>audacity</em> of the young ones”, muttered one of the Gabriels, shaking his head in disappointment, arms crossed on his chest.</p><p>“Look at him…”, another of the Gabriels was whispering to his neighbor, eyes on the first Gabriel that had talked.</p><p>“Such wit. So much <em>sexiness</em>…”, the third one purred, taking a dramatic hand to his chest in fake dismay.</p><p>“Keep it in your pants, folks”, another said, raising both hands.</p><p>“But <em>how</em>?!”, the previous sighed dramatically.</p><p>“Get out of my way”, Castiel said in a warning tone.</p><p>“We gotta talk, Cassie”, the first Gabriel answered him.</p><p>“No, we don´t”, he answered in slight anger, “My privacy is <em>mine</em>”</p><p>“Okay, then let me do the talking”</p><p>  Castiel huffed as he crossed his arms. He saw absolutely no way out of that situation aside from keeping silent until his brother got bored, or until he realized he wouldn’t get any information from him.</p><p>“I geeet, that you have your stuuuff, and you take care of it, okay?”, Gabriel said in an exaggerated bored voice, “But, there´s something off with you. You´ve got that frowney face you do when you feel bad”, he said as he pointed at him with a wobbly finger, “Headache, I presume?”</p><p>“In what <em>way</em> could that be relevant?”, Castiel answered sharply.</p><p>  His brother looked at him intensely for a second.</p><p>“Cause I think you got Corrupted”, he deadpanned. </p><p>  Cas´s eyes snapped wide open.</p><p>“I haven´t…!”, he started to protest.</p><p>“Ah-ah-ah, don´t give me that <em>how insulting</em> kind of crap”, Gabriel said raising a firm finger, “<em>Everyone</em> gets Corrupted at some point, and it´s okay if it´s controlled. Hell, I´ve gotten Corrupted more times than I can count. Whoever says they never have, they´re <em>lying</em>”</p><p>  The healer looked at his brother, slightly surprised. Getting Corrupted, unless it happened in the most ruthless battlefield, was considered a weakness among the nobility. It meant lack of discipline and character, lousy control of one´s magic; and suggesting someone could have gotten even a bit of Corruption was considered insulting. Supposedly, no one ever passed through that, though he as a healer knew it wasn´t true. That was one of the reasons why studying the disease was so difficult- possible patients denied having ever had it, so the information was very scarce. But then again, Gabriel had always disdained etiquette and whatever the nobility considered important. </p><p>  Honey met blue, and Gabriel grimaced a bit in frustration. His eyes lowered for a second, and when he raised them again, all of the copies he had created with mind magic disappeared.</p><p>“I´m worried, Cas”, he said, looking at him seriously.</p><p>  Castiel blinked at him, utterly surprised. His brother was… actually dropping the games, and talking seriously for a change.</p><p>“I can smell wolf on you. And a shit ton of fear sweat. Something scared you outta your mind after you last showered”</p><p>  Cas closed his eyes in a small wince. The berry essence had not been enough. Gabriel put an urgent hand on his shoulder, eyes pained.   </p><p>“Did you try to transform yourself into a wolf?”, he asked, worry coloring his words.</p><p>  Castiel blinked once. Twice. That was… the greatest excuse he could have come up with. By no means should he blow this up with his awful lying abilities. He licked his lips and looked away, trying to look offended.</p><p>“And what if I had?”, he said in a distant voice.</p><p>“<em>Then</em>”, Gabriel answered in an angered tone, his grip on him tensing, “you should have known that your biomancy is not powerful enough to do that. Not yet, at least”</p><p>“Whatever, Gabriel…”, he murmured, moving his shoulder away.</p><p>“No, Castiel, this shit is dangerous!”, Gabriel said, raising his voice.</p><p>  Cas looked back at his brother, surprised. He… didn´t think he´d ever seen him so worried. There was actual fear in his eyes, that quickly transformed into hurt.</p><p>“Why didn´t you call me? Why wouldn´t you ask for my help for this, Cas?”</p><p>  The mage opened his mouth, speechless for a second… realizing what his brother thought. That he had tried something that was <em>way</em> out of his league. That he had had problems mid-way, that he had feared for his life, and that he had used almost all of his magical talent to go back from a horrid half-transformation state, getting Corrupted enough in the process to have lasting symptoms. And that for such idiocy, he had not gone to his brother- that happened to be an expert in life magic. As if he had almost had a <em>very serious problem</em> because he did not trust him, or his abilities.</p><p>“I can do things seriously when it´s needed, Cas, I thought you knew…”, Gabriel continued saying, frustrated.  </p><p>“I know, I know, I know”, he started to hurriedly answer, “I just… I didn’t... think I´d need help. If I had, of course, <em>of course</em> I would have gone to you. I just... thought that… It was stupid”, he finished, not knowing how to continue the lie.</p><p>“<em>Very much</em>”, Gabriel chided, frowning, annoyance masking his fear, “I don’t want to find my baby brother on a pile of his own goo one day, okay?”</p><p>  Castiel lowered his eyes.</p><p>“Is it under control? The Corruption?”, he asked in an ordering tone.</p><p>“Yes”, grumbled Cas, “Only chest now”</p><p>  Gabriel looked at him frowning, but exhaled and nodded.</p><p>“Okay. Don´t let it eat you until you find the cure <em>at least</em>, okay?”, he scolded.</p><p>  Cas did not raise his gaze. He hated worrying his brother this way, and lying to him…</p><p>“Cassie”, his brother took his chin to make him look him in the eye, “I know you´re training hard, okay? You barely ever leave your room, everything you do is related to the Academy in one way or another… I get it, okay? It´s important to you, to get into the army. But <em>please</em>”, he begged him, making Cas´s eyes wide, “be… careful. You <em>absolute</em> idiot…”</p><p>  He had definitely never seen Gabriel like that. He was suddenly very sorry he had worried his brother like that.</p><p> “Promise me you won´t do anything like that without me around again”, he said firmly.</p><p>  Cas sighed.</p><p>“I… have learned my lesson, and I´m definitely not looking forward to repeating the experience”, he answered very truthfully, and he looked up, “And I promise that if I ever try to shapeshift… again… I´ll call you”</p><p>“Thank you”, Gabriel said, still a bit serious.</p><p>  They both stared at each other for one more second. Then his older brother rolled his eyes, made a frustrated sound, and passed a bit harshly an arm over his shoulders to make him continue walking by his side, towards Castiel´s room.</p><p>“You´re such an idiot”, he muttered shaking his head as they walked.</p><p>  Cas only smiled slightly.</p><p>“You know you can count on me, right, dimwit?”, Gabriel said as he gave him a little shake on the shoulders.</p><p>“I know”, answered Castiel softly, still smiling to himself.</p><p>  He felt protective of Samandriel. Respect and certain fondness towards Michael and Lucifer. And he shared a strong feeling of camaraderie with Uriel, due mostly to how much of bookworms they both were.</p><p>  But Gabriel… he was the one he felt closer, cherished the most. The one he trusted more, if maybe not enough to tell him about the hunter in his room… But he would definitely go to him with any problem he had. And he knew he would answer. He knew he wanted to protect him, even though he could not always be present.</p><p>  Gabriel´s… reality was a bit too tough on him. Each of them dealt with the duties of being a noble in a different way, and while Cas just buried himself in Academy work… Gabriel ran away. He hid in the jokes, in the illusions. He indulged in alcohol and recreational substances sometimes, though never to a worrying degree that he´d known. He disappeared sometimes for days, on <em>excursions</em> he never explained to anyone, and no one ever had gotten out of him where he went. Their mother did not ask nor seemed to mind, as long as he fulfilled his responsibilities. And his time for running away was coming to an end, given the ultimatum their mother had given him.</p><p>  But whenever he could, when he had strength and time and presence enough, he was there for Castiel. As much as he could. And for Cas, that was more than enough. </p><p>“I wouldn´t even ask questions, you know”, Gabriel continued saying as they walked together, “If you ever need, I don’t know! Drugs! Suspicious ingredients for your nerdy potions! Tell me and I´ll get them for ya, I swear”</p><p>  The healing mage suddenly stopped, thinking… and looked back at him, breaking from his embrace.</p><p>“Really? No questions asked?”</p><p>  Gabriel raised his eyebrows, in the utmost surprise.</p><p>“Want some drugs?”</p><p>“No, no, no, I mean… Would you <em>really</em>”, and he marked the word with a big amount of incredulity, “not ask any questions, and stay out of my business, if I asked you for something sketchy?”</p><p>“Hey”, Gabriel said soflty as he put a hand on his shoulder, “If you promise that if you need help, if you <em>really need it</em>, you´ll call me… yeah, no questions asked”</p><p>“No spying, either?”, Cas looked at him squinting his eyes in suspicion.</p><p>“No spying either. Cross my heart”, he finished with half a smile, crossing his chest with a finger.</p><p>  He looked at his brother for another moment, then smiled.</p><p>“Then I promise, yeah”, Castiel said.</p><p>  Gabriel smiled widely at that.</p><p>“So”, he looked at him wickedly as he wiggled his eyebrows, “what do you have in mind?”</p><p> </p><p>  Cas stopped in front of his bedroom door to sigh. He couldn’t believe he´d finally made it. He´d actually survived dinner; despite the lingering Corruption still on him, despite his physical weakness, and he had even surpassed Gabriel and his concerns- his big brother had, true to his word, left him with no more questions.</p><p>  Yet, he mulled over as he massaged his forehead with two fingers for a second, there was still one battle to fight this night. The hardest of them all. A stubborn hunter awaited past that closed door, and he had, somehow, to convince him to abandon his brother in the doomed forest for a little longer.</p><p>  And since waiting wouldn´t make things any easier, he took a deep breath as he steeled himself and he opened the door with all the energy he still had.</p><p>  One step, his hand automatically closed the door behind him as his eyes tried to understand what he was seeing, and he froze.</p><p>  At the sound of the door, Dean whipped his head violently towards the mage. </p><p>“Cas!!”, he exclaimed, turning his back to him.</p><p>  Castiel let out a strange, startled sound as he whirled to face the door.</p><p>“Dude, what the fuck!!”, he heard the hunter behind him.</p><p>“Dean…!”, he emitted in a tone of protest.</p><p>  Turned around from the hunter, the young healer panted, heart racing, and a violent heat rushed over his neck and face as he blushed.</p><p>“W… Why are you naked?!”  </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>THIS ENDING. This is the ending of a chapter that I like the MOST out of all that I have written for this fanfic yet xDDDD The second best is when a wolf bit Cas, he screams, and several guttural growls roar in answer. Poor guy xD  </p><p>When I first started this fanfic, it was gonna be very silly. I was gonna use as many stupid tropes I could, romantic comedy stuff... but then the plot grew and it became really serious. But this, I did not want to lose: I thought of the scene of Cas finding Dean naked in his room very early on, like, it was one of the first things I came up to as I planned the fanfic. So here it is xDDD</p><p>I hope that prayer made it clear that The Lord and God are different entities? The Lord is, basically, the king of the Kingdom of Heaven :) Religion is a complicated matter here, I will explain more later xD</p><p>PS- Haha, I just realized with all this talk about the Corruption that... Dean should have been a little bit Corrupted the first time Cas found him. So I went back to edit chapter two. Just know that when Cas is cleaning him, there are black veins over his heart, that fade away in the next days, and there are no more veins when Cas finally uses magic on him again!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Proposition</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Road So Far: Dean has stayed in Castiel´s room for a couple of days, as he recovered from his wounds. He´s not totally healed yet, and Castiel cannot heal him with the lingering Corruption still in him- but he´s impatient to start looking for Sam already. Right before the mage took him back to Wyvernon Forest, Cas had to go to dinner with his family. There, he has an idea regarding Dean and his immediate future. However... he finds him naked when he gets back to his room.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am really sorry I did not update this in such a long time. Its been a very hard time for me, both for personal reasons (Im sure everyone in the world is being as unlucky as me when it comes to personal tragedies cause *these two years, jesus*) and also in regards to the finale. I dont think Ill ever feel the same after those two episodes- but I think Im starting to recover, and to regain the love for this fandom and these little stories I made :) So I´m gingerly, slowly coming back to writing.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Dude!! Ever heard of knocking?”, Dean complained behind him.</p><p>“T-this is <em>my room</em>!”, Castiel shrieked in a tone of protest, eyes still drilling the door, consternation making his face slack and his eyes wide.</p><p>“Well, <em>surprise</em>, you´re not the only one in it lately!”</p><p>“For God´s sake…!”, Cas moaned as he hid his face in his hands.</p><p>  This wasn´t happening. This <em>couldn´t</em> be happening. This kind of thing didn´t happen in <em>real life</em>, or at least not in <em>his</em> life… He never went out, he just studied, and read, and behaved properly, and…</p><p>  The image, branded in fire on his brain: Dean completely naked, half-turned to him, passing a wet towel over his body. Water droplets pearling his muscles. It had just been a second, but not expecting it, not understanding what he was seeing for a moment, had made his mind take it all in. He was not even sure of how much <em>front</em> he had seen…</p><p>  Cas scrunched his eyes furiously, trying to <em>unsee</em>. He wanted to die, right there and then. </p><p>“What… are you doing?!”, the mage whined, just wishing that just hadn´t happened.</p><p>“Washing myself, you idiot! I´m still bloodied and sweaty- not all of us can snap our fingers and bam, be shiny and fresh!”</p><p>“Here?? <em>Standing</em>?”</p><p>“Well, you <em>did say</em> not to go out”, Dean snarled, “And I don’t see a bathtub anywhere!”</p><p>  The bathroom.</p><p>  He….</p><p>  He hadn´t shown him the bathroom.</p><p>“Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no…”, he groaned, sliding his hands from his face to his hair, hiding behind his arms- shame made him want to curl into a ball.</p><p>  Dean had been waiting for him, impatient, uncomfortable, ready to leave for the forest, not knowing when his next chance for getting clean would be. The only source of hygiene he had had at his grasp had been the silver basin that Cas had so hastily cleaned to make himself decent. So <em>of course</em> he had stripped in the middle of his room to bathe as well as he could... </p><p>“Relax, man. I´m sure your fiancée will understand, jeez”, growled Dean. </p><p>“No, I…. <em>God</em>”, Cas moaned.  </p><p>  Fiancée. Marriage.</p><p>  Naked man <em>in his room</em>.</p><p>“I… am…”, Castiel babbled, trying to get his mind away from that pathway, “<em>Terribly</em> sorry this just happened. This is <em>absolutely</em> my fault. I am a terrible, terrible host, and I have no excuse. Please… If you cover yourself, I will lead you to where you will be able to wash and groom yourself with the… privacy that you deserve”, he finished in an anguished sigh.</p><p>  He just suffered in the following small silence.</p><p>“… okay?”, he finally heard.</p><p>  Cas knew that could not mean Dean was covered already, he had not had the time. He judged it safer to wait.</p><p>“Okay, I´m decent”, he heard, still a bit too soon- but maybe he was a fast dresser?</p><p>  Castiel let out a sigh of relief while he slowly turned, trying to figure out how he was supposed to look at the hunter in the eyes now.</p><p>  But that train of thought crashed and burned as he blabbed out a strangled sound, flinching in place, his arms raising in an awkward movement of futile defense.</p><p>“… Dean!!”, he complained, face anguished and hot as a fireplace.</p><p>“What? I´m covered!”</p><p>  Cas let his arms fall at his sides, fists closed, in impotent dismay. That was a <em>lie</em>, a blatant lie. His lean chest was exposed. His muscular arms, his neck, his legs, his stomach- bandage free, now, but freshly closed wounds were still visible. Dean had simply taken the wet towel and used it to cover his hips down to his knees, and was still holding it in place with one hand.</p><p>  His skin was still covered in droplets. Castiel could <em>see</em> the gaps of his pelvis, diving down into his covered groin, and he gulped. Dean looked at him with a weirded out expression as he tilted his head. A big drop of water fell from his hair at the movement, sliding down his neck, hitching for a second on his clavicle, to finally continue its journey down his pectoral.</p><p>“You can´t see any of the important bits!”, Dean complained at his distressed face, “Come on, dude, first ogling and now being such a baby”</p><p>“I was not…”, the mage started to breath out in dismay, but lost all his energy before continuing.</p><p>  Cas closed his eyes for a moment, his insides a mix of embarrassment, wonder, horror, incredulity, panic...</p><p><em>You´re a doctor. You´re a doctor. Anatomy is just anatomy</em>, he said to himself breathing in deeply, <em>This is nothing. He´s covered now… at least the important bits. This is fine. </em></p><p>  He looked up to find Dean observing him with an amused expression. That little smirk, and that whole image… Cas panicked as he started to feel tension in his pants.</p><p>  And this was not a good day for him to use his magic to redirect his own blood to other parts of his body, with the lingering Corruption and horrible headache.  </p><p>“I w-will show you to the bathroom!”, Cas stammered, starting to walk around the bed, walking past the window.</p><p>  <em>Calm down, calm down, calm down</em>, <em>calm down</em>, he told himself in a rush, and he made himself think of the least person he was attracted to- it worked like a charm, and for once, he felt grateful to have such a presence in his life. </p><p>  Dean blinked at him as he passed by.</p><p>“Bathroom?”, the hunter repeated, confused, as his eyes followed him through the room to what looked like a plain wall by the bed. </p><p>  Cas pressed his hand slightly to the richly decorated surface. Part of it slightly gave way, and as the mage let go of it, it came back to open an inch.</p><p>“Oh”, Dean murmured surprised.</p><p>  Castiel fluidly grabbed the end of the discreet door as it bounced back, in a movement of pure habit, and opened it to walk into adjacent quarters.</p><p> </p><p>  Upon entering, the smell of lavender got to him. The floor and walls of the small chamber were made of white marble, and his steps echoed slightly as he walked it. In every corner there was a white glowing crystal set on the wall by a silvery metal claw, and their light gave the stance an ambiance of purity and neatness.  </p><p>  To his right, there was a wooden latrine. A white curtain, gathered currently by a delicate silver rope, could be drawn to provide more privacy to that area even in the already enclosed space. To his left, a wall of translucent glass delimited a small dead-end. Right in front of him there was a big round mirror, hung on the wall just above a silver water outlet that surged from the marble wall, hovering over a concave metallic surface that had a little hole in its lowest region, from where a small pipe traveled down to the floor.</p><p>  He could see in the mirror that Dean followed him, looking around in absolute astonishment, mouth agape.</p><p>“H-here”, he stammered, making a gesture towards the sheet of glass, “You c-can shower here more comfortably”</p><p>“Shower?”</p><p>  He blinked at Dean for a second, who looked at him as if he was talking nonsense. Then Cas opened his lips slightly. Of course… Peasants did not have the money to afford such luxuries. Dean had probably only seen bathtubs until now.</p><p>“I´ll… show you how it works”, he said, walking towards it.</p><p>  He walked into the shower and waited till Dean popped his head inside, looking around with a guarded frown of incomprehension. Cas was standing over a metal rack set on the floor, and he pointed to the symbols engraved in the far end wall.</p><p>“Touch this”, he signaled a pearly white sigil, “so that the water starts falling from there”, he said, pointing at an identical grate situated above his head, “Tap slightly several times here so it starts coming hotter”, he said gesturing to a golden one, placed to the right of the white sigil, “Tap here so it´s colder”, he pointed at a silvery one on the left.</p><p>“What in the world is this? Water falls from the ceiling?”</p><p>“We call it a shower. Like, when it rains”, Cas smiled slightly.</p><p>“How is this even…?”, the hunter looked at the mechanism in absolute disconcertment.</p><p>“It´s… a very expensive combination of several types of magic”, Cas explained, “Along with some structural modifications made into the building´s design for the pipes”</p><p>“Pipes?”</p><p>“The water gets here from the river through… tubes. Purified by lightomancy and called forth by the middle arcane symbol through water magic. The two other ones control some coldstones and heatstones placed inside the pipe. Another pipe takes the water away. It works in the same way for the sink and latrine”</p><p>  The hunter looked wide-eyed to the other locations mentioned.</p><p>“This is insane”, he murmured, unbelieving.</p><p>  Castiel went hurriedly to a little white closet placed by the door to fetch some objects, unable to help but think for a second about Dean´s absolute ignorance of something… so basic for him. Something he didn’t even think about, something he absolutely took for granted- Dean hadn´t ever seen, didn´t know how it worked. He remembered a time when he didn´t have a shower, but it had been so long ago that he never thought about it anymore. And even before that, before the Spire was built, he had always had a magically regulated bathtub. His family had always been wealthy.</p><p>  He saw Dean´s naked back and uncomfortably thought it would be better to contemplate his privileges after he´d taken proper care of his guest.</p><p>“Here”, he passed him a folded, <em>full-body sized</em> white towel above which he had placed a new soap bar, a new unused razor blade with a silver handle, and some small bottles of ointments, “Take your time and… call me if you need anything. I´ll hear, the walls here are thin here”</p><p>  Dean took it all awkwardly with one hand, juggling a bit, the other one still on his towel; and looked around in absolute confusion once more. He followed Cas with his eyes as the mage walked out of the marble room, as if he was somewhat lost; but the healer lost sight of him as he closed the panel door.</p><p>  After returning to his room, Cas just… stood for a moment, staring at the void. Then gulped, walked a few steps and dropped sitting into his bed, his widened gaze lost in the middle distance.</p><p>  What. Had just. Happened.</p><p>  That had been <em>so wrong</em>. He shuddered, in… fear, but also wonder. He had… never seen a naked man before. Not that he hadn´t wanted to... But the farthest he´d ever gotten had been seeing Dean´s chest as he healed him. And it had been <em>so different</em> now. First, his mind hadn´t been on doctor mode. Second, there had been so much more skin unveiled. Like, <em>all of it</em>. All of it, Holy Mother of God… And… unconscious, half-dead Dean wasn´t at all as alluring as… standing, wet, very <em>alive</em> Dean. Smirking Dean.</p><p>  He felt his cheeks flush. His… mind really couldn’t recall all of Dean´s nakedness. He was too embarrassed, it was too inappropriate. But… his chest though, he´d seen it several times now, and as Dean had said… the important bits were covered. That was okay… at least it was not so bad? His chest, and strong shoulders, and…  </p><p>  He flinched, his gaze shifting to the wall, as he heard the water start and a little yelp. Cas waited expectantly, but no cry for help arose, and the shower remained rushing steadily.</p><p>  Shame washed over him in a drowning waterfall and he hid his face in his hands. This was the tattoo scene all over again. He was in the <em>next room</em>, and he was a <em>person</em>, and no matter how new an experience that had been, he deserved respect, and Cas couldn´t think of things like that and he knew it.</p><p><em>You can´t do this, Cas, you can´t think this</em>, he thought, hunched around himself, <em>You can´t, you can´t, you know you can´t. </em></p><p>  He needed to regain his composure. Yes, he´d been startled; but now it was over and he needed to be in control of the situation again. This little event had probably not helped his plans in the least, so he had to be absolutely convincing when Dean came back.</p><p>“Oh my <em>Gooood</em>…”, he distantly heard echoing, a mix between a moan and a grunt.</p><p>  The mage took his head from his arms, eyebrows raised in surprise. Or… it could have helped. Dean had, after all, just been shown the luxuries of running, hot water. This could play to his advantage. </p><p>  He looked to his left. The food tray was still on the bed, but mostly empty. Half of the salad was still on its bowl, though the nuts and berries were gone; but the plate that had contained the pie didn’t even have breadcrumbs in it. Cas squinted as he pursed his lips- Dean must have liked it. Could food be another incentive?</p><p>  Castiel inhaled and huffed out firmly, a determined expression taking over his features. He had been taken off balance, but he was back on track. This little pause would be incredibly helpful.</p><p>  He had work to do.</p><p> </p><p>  Cas snapped his eyes to the wall as he heard how the water noise suddenly stopped. It was time.</p><p>  He looked around. He had taken the food tray outside, leaving it on the floor beside his door for Gadreel to pick up. He had cleaned the splashes of water Dean had left on the carpet with a movement of his hand, and picked up the hunter´s clothes from the chair he had left them at. After purifying them- it would not clean them completely, but it improved their state a lot- he´d gently knocked on the bathroom and announced he would be opening the door to leave his clothes for him. He´d sternly ignored Dean´s teasing when he told him “no peeking”; definitely not blushing too much and keeping a straight, confident expression as he opened the door very slightly and gingerly pushed the bundle of clothing through the floor while looking away.</p><p>  He´d also made the bed, and tidied up whatever medical supplies he had left out of their places while healing Dean. A fire was crackling in the fireplace, warm and welcoming. He had taken all the junk he had left earlier on his worktable and somehow found space for all his normally unused utensils in drawers and chests, leaving out only the little black cauldron in the middle of the table. To one side, two new potions bubbling in burners…</p><p>  And now he was standing beside his lab area, tense and nervous, his well-thought speech clear on his mind.   </p><p>  He was as ready as he would ever be.</p><p>  He heard a small thump on the bathroom door, and he looked at it for a second. Nothing happened. Another thud. Cas frowned slightly. Was that… knocking? Was Dean asking permission to come back?</p><p>“Come in…?”, he said awkwardly.</p><p>  It took the separate thuds to become a series of increasingly erratic pats for Castiel to understand that Dean did not know how to open the panel door.</p><p>  As he took a step to move forward, the door suddenly burst out, Dean stumbling in. He recovered his balance almost immediately, head held high, gripping the ends of his shirt and tugging from them to straighten it.</p><p>“Yeah. Yeah, I was knocking”, he said crisply, trying to fake composure, “That´s what… I did not want to catch you off guard. Like, you know. Like before”</p><p>  The mage lowered his eyes and bit slightly his lips for a second in repentance.</p><p>“I offer you my deepest apologies again, Dean. I promise you that it will never happen again, and I swear that I didn’t… see much of anything”, said in a betraying increasingly small voice.</p><p>  Dean snorted.</p><p>“Don´t worry, pal. It´s not like we´re gonna have much opportunity for a re-run”</p><p>  Cas lifted his head at that. The hunter´s clothes were clean and repaired, much like his owner. Dean´s hair was still a bit moist, but he was unshaven. He probably had felt too impatient to leave to spend the time.</p><p>“About that”, Cas said, steeling himself, “I have a proposition to make”</p><p>  Dean, who had been scanning the room for some reason, shifted his gaze to the mage, a mix of confusion and surprise in his features.</p><p>“My”, he said, voice huskier, and then he smirked, “And I thought you were engaged”</p><p>  Cas… just blinked at that, mind blank.</p><p>“Display changed your mind?”, the hunter said as he wiggled his eyebrows once and smirked even more.</p><p>  Castiel´s mind clicked, understanding what Dean was implying, what he was understanding; and he made a startled babble as his face flushed furiously.</p><p>“Wha-no-I-no-I…!!”</p><p>  The hunter let out a belly laugh, dropping the act.</p><p>“I´m sorry, man”, he chuckled, “You´re just too easy to tease”</p><p>  Castiel finally understood that he was being made fun of. Even with his face red as a flame, he opened his mouth to protest; and upon failing to find proper words, he pressed his lips together as he glared at Dean.</p><p>“I do not appreciate being mocked in my own home, Dean”, he tried to say in a stern, serious tone; succeeding only in part.</p><p>“I´m sorry, you´re right, I´m sorry”, the hunter said raising his hands in a pacifying gesture, smiling still, “I´m not mocking, I´m just, you know, teasing. But I don´t wanna make you uncomfortable or anything. I´ll get out of your hair immediately”, the hunter smiled at him, “I do need my gear, though”</p><p>  Castiel took a deep breath. He had not planned to do this after being teased. That helped his image very little. But he would have to work with whatever he had.</p><p>“<em>About that</em>”, he said in an insisting tone, “I have a proposition for you, Dean”</p><p>“I heard”, he answered, “So, shoot”</p><p>  Castiel advanced one step, head held high, hoping his blush did not undermine his authority.</p><p>“I´d like to come with you”</p><p>  Dean blinked at him, surprised.</p><p>“Come with me?”, he repeated.</p><p>“Yes. I´d like to go to the Wyvernon Forest with you and help you find your brother. I know combat magic, and how to use a blade. I think I could be of great help to your cause”</p><p>  For a second, the hunter just looked at him. Cas waited expectantly.</p><p>  Then Dean looked at him with a small pained smile.</p><p>“Sorry pal... I think I´ll pass. I´m sure your intentions are good”, the hunter added as he saw his dismayed expression, “But I really don’t have time to babysit a newbie. Gotta find Sammy”</p><p>“Newb…?”, Cas babbled.</p><p>  Alriggt, he might not be an expert, but after years and years of studying and training, he was no <em>newbie</em>. The mage exhaled annoyedly, his composure totally regained, and he looked at Dean with thunderous blue eyes.</p><p>“I am a nobleman of the kingdom, and a server of the Lord”, he said firmly, “My family is the most magically gifted of the nobility”</p><p>“Dude, you zapped into a forest that <em>of course</em> had critters lurking. <em>And</em> brought one with you as you tried to escape”, Dean declared in a disappointed tone.</p><p>“I have abilities in four areas of magic”, Cas counterattacked.</p><p>“I menaced you with a knife, and you immediately left it within my reach”</p><p>  Cas stood looking at him for a second. He <em>had</em> done that.</p><p>“Look, I´m sure you´re good at whatever you... nobles do. But hunting is no game, and you very obviously lack experience”, Dean finished, shaking his head. </p><p>  The mage looked at him, mouth agape as he searched for the right words.</p><p>“That is exactly why I want to come, Dean”, he finally said, “I do lack the experience, I´ll admit that. They don´t let us out into the field until we graduate, but I need to be better, to learn faster. I am not totally useless. I´ve been instructed all my life in magic; and in the last five years I´ve learned combat, and perfected my magic knowledge, in the High Academy. With the wolves, I just… got caught off guard. But I won´t be a burden, I swear”</p><p>  The hunter pursed his lips, still shaking his head, huge incredulity in his eyes. Castiel understood that he would have to change tactics.</p><p>“Aside from that, all of my resources would be at your disposal. Look around”, Castiel made a gesture to his room, “Money? You have it. Potions? I´m preparing two healing potions right now, and I have some ointments that will be very useful. And that´s what I could scrape up in a moment´s notice”</p><p>  The hunter´s gaze paused on the lab table, looking at the burners. Healing potions… were expensive, very expensive.</p><p>“And I believe that you ignore how many things can be accomplished through magic”, charged Cas, emboldened upon seeing the shadow of a doubt in those green orbs, “I can <em>teleport</em>, Dean. Think of that, just for a second”</p><p>  The hunter looked back at him, his brow furrowing in thought.</p><p>“I could travel us there in an instant… and back”, Cas said slowly, and he started reveling in the words, “I take us there, I pick up my bluestone; we finish searching, I put it back down and we get back. We could search all day, not wasting any daylight… and still be safe at night, being able to rest, to feed without worrying about looking for food, hunting it or cooking it. To clean ourselves”, he added with a gesture to the bathroom door, and he dared to add tilting his head invitingly, “Hot water after a trying day…”</p><p>   Dean´s eyes had widened a bit at all of that. Cas knew that no hunter could have ever had that kind of rest <em>while</em> he hunted.</p><p>“I don´t know, man”, the man said, shaking his head unsurely, “I can´t get distracted, I…”</p><p>“I can see in the dark, Dean, through life magic. I can push enemies aside with waves of kinetic energy. I can handle my own blade. I can heal any wound you get, Dean. I can heal Sam, if we find him wounded. Even if he´s fatally wounded, I can <em>save him</em>”</p><p>  Dean´s face went hard, and he shot a murderous glance at the mage. Maybe he´d hit too low, making him think about the possibility of the death of his brother… But Castiel kept his expression firm.</p><p>“Why, you…”, the hunter started to say in a menacing tone.</p><p>“It could happen, Dean, you know that”, he interrupted him, and added, “You don´t even know if he´s still alive”</p><p>“You son of a…!”</p><p>“Do you want to find out?”, Cas barked out.</p><p>  Dean fell silent, looking at him confused for a second.</p><p>“Because I know how”, the mage continued, lifting his head defiantly, “Right here. Right now. We could find out this second. Be sure he´s okay”</p><p>  The hunter stared at him… his anger deflating as guarded interest raised.</p><p>“How?”, he said finally.</p><p>“<em>Magic</em>”, Castiel answered sassily, and he marched towards the lab table.</p><p>  He had left the cauldron ready with the ingredients needed for the little ritual Gabriel had explained to him in the hallway. He turned to Dean, who had given two ginger steps towards him.</p><p>“You just have to put a drop of blood into the mix”, he said, “And we will know”</p><p>  The hunter glared at him as if he wanted to tell him to go perform some sexual activities with himself, but his eyes turned nervous and longing upon falling over the cauldron.</p><p>“How does it work?”, he said in a guarded tone, still frowning angrily at Cas.</p><p>“How many blood relatives do you have?”, the mage asked.</p><p>“Does that matter?”, grunted the hunter.</p><p>“Of course it matters, Dean- or I wouldn´t have asked”, Cas said exasperatedly, and he added, “Parents?”</p><p>“Gone”</p><p>“Children, from you or Sam?”</p><p>“Oh God, none”, he snorted, rolling his eyes.</p><p>“Cousins, other brothers…?”</p><p>“It´s just me and Sam”, he cut him off.  </p><p>“…Alright. Then: when we add your blood to the mix, I´ll set it on fire. It will die down quickly, and when it does, we will see how many flames remain. Two flames would represent you and Sam: the only beings with this blood that remain on this plane. But… if there´s only one flame…”</p><p>“I get it”, interrupted Dean in a grunt.</p><p>  The hunter had his gaze lost in the cauldron. He looked at Cas…  with a strange mix of anger, hope, worry, and a little confusion.</p><p>“You sure this will work?”, he said in a voice that was just a little bit vulnerable.</p><p>  The mage felt his guard lowering, his own annoyance fading as he gave Dean a compassionate small smile.</p><p>“Yes”, he said gently, “And I think you should do it”</p><p>  The offer was there. He could say no. Not face yet if his brother… was already dead. But Castiel was right, and they both knew it. It would make no sense to expose both of them to the dangers of the forest if there was nothing to rescue.</p><p>  Dean´s eyes shone with uncertainty for a second; before he frowned, determined, and gave a curt nod. Before Cas could move, the hunter took a small scalpel that the doctor had left ready beside the cauldron, and made a small cut on one of his fingers. He directly put his hand over the cauldron and a drop of blood dropped in the mix. A faint-glowing red spiral of light surged from where it fell on the center, to swirl around the cauldron until it touched its edges.</p><p>  Dean took his finger to his mouth, eyes very alert, and Cas looked at him for a second, questioning. The hunter nodded, and Castiel took one of the candles on the table and lowered it to the liquid.</p><p>  The surface of the liquid exploded into flames with a small roar, making both of them retreat a small step; the surprise making Cas drop the candle in the table, its flame extinguishing. Castiel´s heart was racing. He didn´t know Sam, but he really wanted him not to be dead. He also had brothers he cared about… What if he was? What would Dean do?</p><p>  He looked sideways at the hunter. He had let his hand drop and his eyes were very wide, set on the flames, probably thinking he was not being observed. His expression was now… begging, as if he was desperately asking something to someone in his mind. It looked like he was holding his breath.</p><p>  The flames started to dwindle, Cas gulped. They varied in color, from yellow, to orange, to some small blue tongues among some red ones. Big ones, small ones, they moved around in a wild dance- as if searching. It seemed for a moment that they were seven of them.</p><p>  Then three.</p><p>  Then four, six.</p><p>  None.</p><p>  One.</p><p>  … two.</p><p>  And before their eyes, two flames remained as the rest of the fire died down.</p><p> </p><p>“Jesus Christ…!”, breathed out the hunter.</p><p>  Dean turned around, hands on his hips, his head hanging forward for a second, panting slightly. Cas took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh, heart pounding. He had panicked for a second when he had seen the lonely flame. Dean had probably too.</p><p>  The hunter kept his back to him for a moment. Cas felt it correct to give him a second to compose himself, and his eyes wandered over the cauldron again.</p><p>  And he frowned immediately.</p><p>  One of the flames was steady, tall, orange… normal. The other… had flickered. Turning blue, shrinking, then suddenly as tall and orange as its twin. Cas advanced one step, very alert, worry nagging on him. The flame flickered once again, very briefly, to then go back to be steady and calm. It danced around, then the other one started dancing too… and both died down. The ritual had ended.</p><p>  Castiel blinked, confused. Did that mean anything? Or was fire simply as flimsy and whimsical as ever? He feared Sam to be hurt, but immediately discarded the theory- Gabriel had assured him that this spell was related to <em>essence</em>, not physical state. That he would not be able to predict if anyone was in good or bad condition. That he should not freak out if a flame was smaller than the other one, it only meant that the blood owner was more like <em>himself,</em> and that any other family members were <em>less</em> like him.     </p><p>“Well, that´s good, right?”, the hunter said turning back to him, his eyes just slightly bright, “What happened?”, he asked alarmed upon seeing the cauldron unlit. </p><p>  The mage tried not to worry. He´d been told something like this could happen, right? He was glad Dean hadn´t seen it, though. He did not want him to worry any further, especially if he wasn´t sure there was anything actually wrong. He´d ask Gabriel as soon as he had the chance.</p><p>“The ritual ended”, Cas said with a small, reassuring smile, “But yes, I would say we got a positive conclusion”</p><p>“Holy shit”, the hunter sat on the bed with a sigh, “I got nervous there for a second”</p><p>  Castiel smiled a bit more. The hunter seemed so relieved. A part of him knew… that his guard was low now. He could push a bit more. Cas walked two steps towards him.</p><p>“And that´s only one of the things magic can do”, he said very lightly, sitting slowly beside the hunter.</p><p>  Dean looked up at him, frowning slightly.</p><p>“Dean, let me help you. Please”, he said, his calmed eyes on his, “Imagine what you could do with magic like this by your side”</p><p>  The peasant turned to look in front of him, eyes lost in the mid-distance.</p><p>“What´s the catch?”, he asked in a tired tone.</p><p>  Castiel raised his eyebrows. He remembered what Dean had said the day before… <em>There´s always a catch</em>. He smiled sadly… There was.</p><p>“For me to come with you, we will have to wait until tomorrow. I need another night of rest before I can do full magic, but!”, he quickly added as Dean moved restlessly, “You wouldn´t be wasting any time at all. You can´t search for any trails in the dark. If you left now, you would just find a relatively safe place to rest so you could start searching at first light, right? Well, you can rest here. Warm and way safer. And we leave at first light. That is when we will receive the message from the rangers, also. And we go, with that information, with potions, and my magic and your weapons”</p><p>  Dean huffed out a breath, obviously uncomfortable, anguish in his eyes. He looked as restless as an animal in a cage. Cas understood- he had thought he was finally leaving, right that moment…</p><p>“You know”, Cas said in a steady, soft voice, “that if you left right now, it would be because of guilt. Because you feel you´ve wasted too much time, and wanted to compensate”</p><p>  Dean frowned, annoyed, and looked away from the mage.</p><p>“But if you want to find Sam and not die trying, you can´t be impulsive. You have to be <em>smart</em>”, Cas continued, “And use every possible advantage. Wouldn’t turning help down reduce your chances?” </p><p>  The hunter stood looking away, silent… until he emitted a growled sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He looked back at Cas, sad… but yielding.   </p><p>“Why do you wanna do this?”, he asked in a tired tone.</p><p>“I already told you what I get from this, Dean. Experience. Practice. I´m sure there´s so much that I can learn from a hunter like you”, he said, and he smiled a bit to himself as he continued, “And I admit, I would hate not to ever find out what happened to Sam. To wonder forever if I could have made a difference. Or if you died in the forest and I never knew”</p><p>  The hunter suddenly looked at him, frowning.</p><p>“Is this an elaborate scheme so that I rest for another night and fully heal?”, he asked suspiciously.</p><p>  Cas blushed slightly.</p><p>“No”, he said with a tone that got higher at the end of the word, “Nothing I´ve said is a lie”, he defended himself.</p><p>  Dean glared at him, tilting his head in incredulity.</p><p>“I do admit, aside from all I said, that I hate thinking that all my healing work you would be wasted in recklessness”, the mage added, lifting his chin up in pretended annoyance, “Especially when one night of sleep and one healing spell as you wake up will leave you good as new… I´m a doctor, I care”, he murmured at the end in a complaining tone.</p><p>  Dean snorted as he shook his head with incredulity. Cas smiled a bit to himself and looked away. Both men stayed looking upfront for some moments, pensive.</p><p>“This would be very good for me, Dean”, Cas added softly, “I need the practice”</p><p>“Hell yeah, you do”, grunted the hunter.</p><p>  Cas winced a bit, but tried to ignore the humiliating sting on his pride.</p><p>“Okay, Cas. Okay”, Dean said softly.</p><p>  The mage turned his head to him, eyes widening in joy.</p><p>“If you slow me down, I´m out”</p><p>“I won´t, I swear”, he added quickly.</p><p>“Let´s leave something crystal clear”, the hunter turned strict eyes to him, “You may be driving, but I´m in charge. You do what I say, when I say it. If I tell you to run, you run. Even if you have to leave me behind. Or there´s no deal”</p><p>  The mage blinked at him, surprised by his sudden ferocity.</p><p>“Okay. Yes, sir”, he said with a tentative smile.</p><p>  That seemed to ease Dean, who relaxed and nodded. They got lost in thought again.</p><p><em>I did it. I did it!</em>, Cas thought, joyful, <em>He´s gonna get healed. I´ll be able to help someone else. I´m going to get training in a real environment… I´m going to hunt monsters!</em></p><p>“So? What´s next?”, asked the hunter, “The castle´s your turf. The forest´s mine”</p><p>  Cas took a moment to serene himself so he didn’t sound like an eager teenager.</p><p>“We let the potions finish preparing over the night. We wait for the information from the rangers. Meanwhile… we rest”</p><p>  Dean nodded to himself… to then lock his green eyes with his blue ones.</p><p>“And tomorrow… we hunt”</p><p> </p><p>
  
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you like this piece. The scene of Cas finding Dean naked is one of my faves of the fic, it's just so silly ^^ I'm really fond of the cauldron scene too. I´m sorry they are not in the forest already, and still there are some pieces to put in place before that can happen (the rangers message etc), but its coming. Just one more chapter of this part of the fic, I swear. Part 1 of the fic is: "Dean and Cas in the room, we discover how Castiel´s world works". Part 2 of the fic is: "Cas and Dean go to the forest, we discover how Dean´s world works" (at least the part related to hunting)- and here come the monsters :)))) </p><p>Tell me your thoughts if you feel like it. I will try to update as often as I can :)</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Plan of Action</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Road So Far: Dean has accepted to take Cas hunting with him as they search for his lost brother Sam. The noble will provide the means, and the magic; while Dean will provide the experience and knowledge of a seasoned hunter. </p><p>Today, they go to the forest.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>OH MY GOD, PEOPLE!! This fic hit 500 hits!!!!! I´m so happy!!  ALSO, with this chapter, this fic officially passes the 40K words- which according to a site I read that categorizes fanfics depending on word number, means now it´s officially a novel! :D So I decided it was time for a new chapter (I wanted to publish Dreams of Perdition first, but the next one of that is still in beta process- soon to come, however!)</p><p>I decided Im gonna try and start celebrating milestones. Not many people get to 40K! And there´s still much more to come ^^</p><p>The last pieces I need to set before we get into the next part of the story are here. Pay attention, people- everything that appears here is coming back in the future xD At the end of the chapter they finally get to the Forest of Wyvernon!!! However, I´m done apologizing and feeling bad about it having taken this long for them to go. It´s long, yes- it´s a longfic, it happens. It´s how it has to be. This story is about *so much more* than rescuing Sam. You´ll see :)</p><p>Here we get more glimpses onto the Mighty family politics schemes, Cas desperately trying to be useful to Dean, and we finally address something that maybe some of you might have- if not Dean absolutely has- been wondering. </p><p>Where the fuck is Dean´s sword??</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Cas. Cas!”</p><p>  Castiel felt a push on his shoulder and he grunted. The young healer blinked his eyes open, very confused, and looked around. He could see Dean kneeling on the bed by his side, stretching over the long mattress to reach him. Already up, and already dressed.</p><p>“Rise and shine, Castiel”, Dean was looking at him with a severe expression, “We got some hunting to do”</p><p>  The mage blinked for a second… yes. Today was when they went to the forest to look for Sam. He turned to his window: it was dark outside. Dawn hadn´t even arrived yet.</p><p>“Isn´t it a bit early?”, he complained lightly.</p><p>“No if you wanna keep your promise of being already searching at first light, it´s not”, Dean growled as he crawled back to his side of the bed to sit on the edge, “In my opinion, we are in fact <em>late</em>”</p><p>“You could at least have woken me up a bit less abruptly”, he sighed in tired acceptance.</p><p>  The hunter glared at him.</p><p>“I woke you up nice and whispery ten minutes ago. You looked at me and said you were <em>coming</em> and then you fell asleep again”</p><p>  The mage blinked, fuzzy memories returning to him. He did remember a soft voice, a slight shake on his shoulder.</p><p>“Oh. I´m sorry”, he said, “I´ve always been a heavy sleeper”</p><p>  The mage took a second to… admire his marvelous, wonderful headache-less state. Oh, God. That night had made wonders on him. He closed his eyes to feel his own power, and found it ready to obey his dispositions. He smiled to himself. He was back.</p><p>“Hey, if you´re backing out on our deal, it´s totally fine; just teleport me and let me go on my merry way”, Dean said in a detached tone from his side of the bed.</p><p>“No, no, no”, Cas said, finally starting to move, swinging his legs over the end of the bed, “Coming, I´m coming”</p><p>“Attaboy”, Dean murmured.  </p><p>  The hunter seemed in a gloomy, frowny mood as he arranged his boots, and the mage wondered if he would be regretting his decision of bringing him along. Unwilling for his last offer to stay on Dean´s mind, Castiel rose to his feet a bit hurriedly… and suddenly became very aware of the thin clothes that covered his body.</p><p>  Last night had been a little bit challenging, having a stranger seeing him on his sleeping clothes; even though they were as modest as his daily ones, buttoned up to his throat… And even more so for Dean to ask him if he could remove his shirt to sleep. However, he had steeled himself and agreed before simply turning away in bed.</p><p>  The only way he had found to improve their sleeping arrangement had been to put a spare pillow he found between them, creating a little wall that at least provided each of them with an inviolable space of their own. Dean had snorted at that, assuring him he would not hump him during the night or whatever; but Castiel had insisted adamantly that it was necessary for <em>proper decorum</em>. The hunter hadn’t pressed, simply shrugging and telling him to do <em>whatever made him comfortable</em>, since he was already invading his space so much.</p><p>  Castiel wasn´t exactly comfortable as he walked around the bed in his linen pajamas, self-consciously looking down, but he was also aware that this would probably be good for him. He was a doctor, and he would be expected to attend uncovered bodies in the future. The previous nights had proven to him that the chastity of nobility and his natural shyness were liabilities to his craft… so he would definitely benefit from becoming a bit more flexible about it. He was aware that spending time with someone so different could teach him a lot of things, and he was determined to seize as much knowledge as possible from his short time with the peasant- this topic included. He was glad the hunter was already dressed, though.</p><p>  Having surrounded the bed and being close to him, he stared at Dean for a moment. He remembered very well how feverish and sick he´d looked the previous day. Castiel had to finish healing his wounds today. Dean´s shoulders were slightly hunched, but otherwise he seemed alright.</p><p>  He felt self-conscious enough just walking past to think about sitting beside him to examine him, so Cas took the clothes he´d left prepared the previous day on the chair to get changed in the bathroom. The healing would come next.</p><p>“Oh. Hey”, he heard Dean at his back, and he turned to him, “Had a look at your clothes earlier… and I realized, I´ve got two petitions for you, if you are going to come hunting with me”</p><p>  Castiel frowned slightly in confusion.</p><p>“Okay?”</p><p>“First, neck exposed”, he said pointing at him with a bit of an unyielding look, “I´m sorry buddy, I know you got some issues or something, but hunting partners need to check each other for Corruption. I can´t be sure you´re not going to turn and try to eat my face if I can´t keep track of how you´re doing”</p><p>  The noble frowned a bit deeper, but took a deep breath. <em>Flexible</em>, he thought.</p><p>“Think you can handle it?”, Dean asked, quirking up an eyebrow.</p><p>“Yes”, he answered resolutely as he walked to a little closet to change his shirt for the day.</p><p>“Awesome. I promise not to ogle”, the hunter said in a very disinterested voice, “Second”, he tugged on his own shirt from its neck to show him the tattoo on his clavicle, “You really need to get one of these. A dampening tattoo. It´s pretty clear that you can get some Corruption in you and shrug it off by the next morning, but the symptoms dampen your performance. The headache, the disorientation… By the way, how are you feeling?”, the hunter interrupted himself to look at Cas, tilting his head.</p><p>“I feel fine. Recuperated”, he said turning towards Dean with his new arrangement of clothes folded over his arm.</p><p>  Wondering if some black veins would remain on him, he took his hands to his upper button to have a look… but then stopped and shot a glance at Dean.</p><p>“I… will check if there´s any Corruption left when I get in the bathroom”</p><p>“Oh”, Dean grunted as he rolled his eyes, “God forbid I saw your sensual <em>clavicle</em>”</p><p>“My clavicle can be sensual”, Cas said in a defensive tone, frowning at his mockery.</p><p>  The hunter gave him a confused, frowny expression for a second, to later let out a little burst of acid laughter.</p><p>  The mage blushed and looked away. He had intended to say that necks, and chests, were inherently related to sexuality, and that it was not such childishness to be proper and have a desire for intimacy; especially since given both their sexual preferences any of them could be unproperly aroused, even if only momentarily, by a sudden sight or image. But… his words abandoned him when he was flustered.</p><p>“I´m sure it can”, the hunter said ironically with half a smile that softened a bit his till now grumbly expression, “My point is, if we are in mid-hunting, one of us fainting can really fuck up our survival chances. One can´t properly fight <em>and</em> drag someone around”</p><p>  Cas took a deep breath, remembering his pulsing head. </p><p>“I understand”, he said nodding to himself, “It was difficult for me to face the giant wolves in my state. I see the importance of it. I wouldn’t like to put either of us in unnecessary danger”</p><p>“A´ight”, said Dean, “Then I don’t know when, but get one, okay? I´ll make you the drawing and you go wherever you nobles can go to get a tattoo”</p><p>  The mage raised his eyes up and to the right, pensive. Aside from Dean, he knew nobody with tattoos- but sigils on one´s skin were pretty common in nobility. There might not be ink and needles, but in the end, it would have the same effect. It was just arcane magic, after all.</p><p>“I can do that”, he agreed.</p><p>“Awesome”, the hunter breathed out, apparently slightly more relaxed, “But not today, we´re leaving in fifteen at the most. Ah, by the way, where did you put my sword? I´ve been rummaging around but I can´t find it”</p><p>  The mage´s mind halted to a stop at that, and he blinked at the hunter.</p><p>“Huh?”, he was able to let out.</p><p>“My sword. My stuff, my bag, I can´t find them. I want to sharpen my blade while you get ready. It needs the best maintenance I can give it, it´s very important. It´s bad enough I didn’t take care of it these past days. Where did you put it after healing me?”</p><p>  A… creeping panic started to rise in Castiel´s chest.</p><p>“Ah…”, he babbled as he started walking towards the bathroom, “Let me… let me get changed first!”</p><p>“Cas?”, Dean frowned, apparently not liking the answer.</p><p>  But the mage disappeared into the bathroom.</p><p> </p><p>  Cas put his back to the bathroom door, hugging his clothes to his chest.</p><p>  The sword. The hunter´s bag.</p><p>  He´d left all of it back in the forest. At the mercy of the elements- while apparently the blade´s maintenance was <em>very important</em>.</p><p>  Usually a hunter´s blade had special treatments to make them more effective against monsters… making them very expensive items. Whatever he had in his bag, too, could have gotten ruined- it had rained for a bit the past afternoon. Animals could have mauled on it.</p><p>  <em>Shit</em>, he thought, closing his eyes.</p><p>  He stressed for some moments about what could he do. Not much, it seemed. Days had passed, and he couldn’t go back in time; no one could, not even with magic. All he could think was <em>reparations</em>. Maybe he could find a way to replace the objects for the hunter, or repair them. At least, he had the money. But Cas couldn´t be hunting if he was shopping. Dean would probably don’t like more delays.</p><p>  He walked to the sink as he sighed. He tapped gently the runestone that allowed the water to flow and splashed some on his face, washing away the last remnants of sleep and a bit of the panic too. After wiping the last droplets away with a towel, he looked himself in the mirror. He wasn’t pale, unlike the previous day. He got even closer to the surface, leaning forward as he unbuttoned his shirt. He grimaced in slight disgust and rubbed frowning the little spots of black that marked the skin over his heart, but other than that and some weak tendrils that tried to stretch themselves towards his clavicle, it was all gone. Not bad, not bad at all. He could do magic without problems that day- and if he didn´t exert himself too much, it wouldn´t even pile up. He finished undressing.</p><p>  He had carefully chosen his training clothes for that day: same pants and boots as the previous day, but a strong vest to wear on top of his shirt, and some protections for over his chest and arms- in case he faced some monster trouble. The only shirt he owned that left his neck exposed was one Gabriel had gifted him some time ago. More on his brother´s style than on his: exposed throat, puffy sleeves, a bit eccentric-looking for the healer. It had been a joke, actually, since they both knew Cas would probably never wear something that brought so much attention to himself, that showed his skin so much. It lacked taste, it was improper and unlike Gabriel, Cas didn´t see the appeal of getting eyes on him. Who would have thought he´d put it to use? He shook his head at the thought of wearing it for days as he hunted with Dean, a total stranger. At least he´d say he wouldn´t look much…</p><p>  He looked himself in the mirror as he finished, stalling. The puffy sleeves showed a bit under the arm protections, but it wasn´t bad. He felt a little bit naked, and pressed his lips in slight frustration as he first thought of getting a scarf, then realizing he couldn’t do that. He also dreaded intensely the following conversation… but he sighed and finally got out.</p><p>  The hunter was glaring at him even before the door got completely open.</p><p>“Castiel”, Dean said immediately in a menacing tone, “I have looked <em>everywhere</em>, and I don’t remember seeing my stuff these past days… <em>Where´s my sword</em>?”</p><p>  The mage´s eyes hovered over the room for an instant, registering that the closet door was slightly ajar, probably cause the hunter had looked inside. Castiel walked past Dean, who was sitting on the bed, to leave his pajamas on the chair by the desk.</p><p>“I…”, he sighed, pressing his lips, “I might have left it… in the forest”</p><p>  Dean´s face… went livid, transforming into a mask of controlled anger.</p><p>“What?”, he said in a low whisper.</p><p>“I´m sorry, Dean; I just… focused on moving your body, and I didn’t remember to…”</p><p>“You left… my sword in the forest?”</p><p>“Yes. I…”</p><p>“You left my <em>BABY </em>in the <em>FUCKING FOREST</em>?!”, the hunter suddenly bellowed, standing up. </p><p>“You had a baby??”, asked Castiel in pure horror.</p><p>“My sword!!!”, he roared opening his arms.</p><p>  The mage blinked in confusion.</p><p>“You call… your sword…”</p><p>“<em>Holy fucking shit, Castiel</em>!! I swear to God, I´m a hair away from <em>killing</em> you right now!!”</p><p>  The mage backed back a step, gulping. The anger on Dean´s face seemed barely contained. He didn’t think he´d attack him- but <em>oh</em>, was he pissed.    </p><p>“I… I have to go get the… rangers´ message…”, the noble tentatively said as he got closer to the door, hand reaching blindly for the doorknob.</p><p>“YES!! You go and get <em>the fuck out of my sight</em>!!”, the hunter roared as he jabbed a finger in his direction.</p><p>  Cas hurriedly got to the door and opened it, but just before closing it behind him, he looked back.</p><p>“I… I could buy you a new sword…”</p><p>“SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!”</p><p>  Castiel closed the door and hurried away.</p><p> </p><p>  The young healer sighed loudly as he walked the stone corridors. Way to begin a partnership. Dean had been more upset than he´d expected, and he wondered if he would still want him to come with to the hunt. His footsteps lead him to the communication barracks, where a servant immediately saluted him in a military fashion and handed him an envelope.</p><p>  He was opening it to have a look at the message from the forest rangers when he almost bumped into someone.</p><p>“Ah!”, he exclaimed, “… Uriel!”</p><p>  His brother raised his eyebrows at him.</p><p>“Good morning, Castiel”</p><p>“Good morning, brother”</p><p>  Cas thought briefly about the dampening tattoo. Surely Uriel could put one on his body in the blink of an eye…</p><p>“You got mail?”, his older brother said, looking down at his hands.</p><p>  He suddenly remembered how Uriel´s questions had gathered the attention of his whole family upon him, and he laughed nervously.</p><p>“No! I mean… yes, but it´s nothing personal. Like, not a letter or anything. I don´t ever get correspondence, you know. I needed a report. To find… ingredients. For the… Academy”</p><p>  His impassible wise brother just looked at him… and quirked an eyebrow slightly.</p><p>“Everything I do is related to the Academy, one way or another”, he chuckled nervously.</p><p>“I´m aware”, was his brother´s only response.</p><p>  No, no, asking Uriel was a bad idea. He was too smart, and Cas was too bad a liar.</p><p>“Alright then, I´ll… leave you to your… duties then”, he said as he scurried away.</p><p>  He could feel his brother´s eyes on the back of his neck.</p><p>“Castiel”, he heard at his back.</p><p>  He stopped in his tracks, and cursing his luck, slowly turned around.</p><p>“Whatever you are doing”, his brooding brother said, “just… be sure you are choosing the right path”</p><p>  He blinked owlishly at him, absolutely not understanding the meaning of his words.</p><p>“… of course, brother”, he answered dubiously.</p><p>  Uriel nodded slowly towards him before turning to the servants on the communication barracks, probably to supervise the costs of correspondence of that month. Damn, was Castiel happy that he hadn´t marked the rangers´ message as urgent. Uriel could have read it and learned what it was about.</p><p>  The healer left with hurried steps, pondering his brother´s words. What on Heaven could he have meant? Did he know about Dean, and about Castiel´s plans to go against Academy wishes of getting out on the field before graduating? But if he did, how had he found out? He didn’t think Gabriel would have told him… No, that made no sense. This was probably related to Michael and Lucifer and their trial or something. He huffed, pissed. Good thing he was out of all of that. Hunting with Dean would be more than enough to…</p><p>  He stopped on his tracks several corridors later. Dean had been so pissed. Maybe it was better… if he came back with a peace offering.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey…”, he murmured as he carefully opened the door after knocking, head peeking in as soon as he was able to.  </p><p>  He found a glowering Dean turning back to him from where he was standing in front of the window. He looked upset, but not as enraged as before.</p><p>“I… got the message. And some breakfast. And rations for… the hunt…”</p><p>  He slipped inside the room with a tray with several little dishes, some little bags of tied clothing and an envelope. Dean´s glaring eyes lowered to look at it… and blinked in surprise upon locking on the pie.</p><p>  Yes, pie for breakfast was not something strictly healthy; but Cas had realized Dean had liked it the previous night, and at that moment he was willing to use everything he could to convince the hunter that partnering with him was a good idea.</p><p>  The mage walked meekly into the room and left the tray on the bed, Dean following him with his gaze in ominous silence.</p><p>“Would… you like to see the ranger´s message? It´s got some nest locations. It will be very helpful to find Sam”</p><p>  Dean´s manner seemed to relax a bit at that, though he was still frowning.</p><p>“What´s it say?”</p><p>  Castiel walked to his worktable and retrieved from the envelope both a written note and a marked map, that he unfolded and extended over the surface.</p><p>“According to them, there are three located woodland fiend nests in the forest”, he explained as Dean got closer to get a look at the map, where three crosses had been marked in red ink, “Two are close to where my bluestone is currently located. We could go towards either one from that point today”</p><p>“Where´s the bluestone right now?”, Dean grunted over his shoulder.</p><p>  Cas looked around on his table until he found a little piece of charcoal, with which he drew a little black dot on a heavily wooded area, almost between both mentioned nests.</p><p>“Around here. It might not be an exact location, though”</p><p>“Hm”, Dean emitted as his only response.</p><p>  Cas retreated a step to let the hunter examine the map, and he started to reach for the potions that had been bubbling over the night. He turned off the burners, started labeling some little bottles, and as soon as they got cold enough to touch he poured the contents of the beakers on their new, smaller containers. He covered them with little corks and started rummaging on the drawers beneath the table.</p><p>“And that is?”, Dean asked by his side, eyes raising from the map.</p><p>“Healing potions”, Cas said with the smallest smile, and he took out a bottle of dark glass that he left on the table too, “And some monster repellent lotion”</p><p>  The hunter raised his eyebrows.</p><p>“Never heard of that before”</p><p>“It´s a mix of predator pheromones that keeps little creatures away. I… thought it would be useful. Since we are not actually hunting monsters, but our objective is to find Sam… it seemed efficient to have as little meaningless encounters as possible”</p><p>  The hunter frowned down at the little bottle.</p><p>“Pheromones? Wouldn´t that attract the big beasts for, you know, mating?”</p><p>“This one is based on manticore´s pheromones, which are hibernating right now”, Cas explained, “For the spring we would have to use another mix, but for today it will be fine”</p><p>  Dean pursed his lips and nodded pensively. Then he sniffed and took the map with him as he plumped down on the bed. He was still frowning… but a second later Castiel saw from the corner of his eye how he took a fork and started to eat the pie without ever taking his eyes from the parchment. The mage smiled a bit to himself.</p><p>“Sam´s trail was close to the bluestone, but it was heading north”, Dean informed, “So I´m guessing our best shot is the north nest”</p><p>  Castiel took some bandages from a chest and put them in his bag, along with the repellent, before turning to look down on the map too.</p><p>“I see… How long do you think it will take us to get there?”</p><p>“Hm. One day if we are lucky, two if we´re not. Really depends on how many problems we run into, how fast we move. Do we have to go all the way back to where the stone thingy is?”</p><p>“Not necessarily. It takes some energy and time for me to bind and unbind it, but I can take it with us and plant it whenever we finish”, informed Cas.</p><p>“Yeah, you do that then”</p><p>“No problem”</p><p>  The young healer stared at Dean for a second. Cas was still his doctor, and he needed healing. Dean seemed more pacified now. He might not immediately push him away… The hunter, feeling observed, looked up from the map and stared back into Cas.</p><p>“What?”, he grunted.</p><p>  Cas gulped slightly, but pushed through his awkwardness to give a step forward.</p><p>“I´d like to examine your physical state now. If you see no inconvenience”</p><p>  Dean straightened his back as he looked at him, lowering the map on his thighs.</p><p>“… Sure”, he said, guarded and frowning, as if wondering what would come next but already deciding he might not like it. </p><p>  The mage nodded and sat on the bed beside him, and took two fingers to his temple, sending his awareness inside the hunter´s body.</p><p>“Your fever is down”, Cas said as he tilted his head in a slightly absent tone, eyes unfocused, his attention on his bloodstream, “Your strength has recuperated a great deal. You might be a bit more tired than usual today, but that´s all. There are only traces of venom inside you”, the mage looked into Dean´s greens and gave him a small smile, “You have a very robust physiology”</p><p>“Uh… thanks?”</p><p>“Your wounds have closed, too; but the muscle has not completely repaired itself. I mean; it won´t bleed anymore, but it will still cause you pain as you move. I will heal that now, if you allow me”</p><p>“Yeah... okay”, the hunter said in a murmur, a slight frown on his face.</p><p>  Cas nodded again and delicately put a hand to his covered belly. He felt the tingly sensation of magic leaving his skin, and the slight tensing on the hunter´s body under his touch let him know he felt it too. His power whispered the damaged muscle fibers to start growing, to join the sisters they had been torn from, to embrace each other and thread again as if no damage had ever been done; his skin, to grow evenly over the last marks, the scarred tissue, to be reabsorbed… all in the hushed poem of energies and pulses and warmth that inspired Castiel´s healing magic.</p><p>  A couple of seconds later, the healer took his hand back.</p><p>“It is done. There are no sequels, and no scars”</p><p>“Wow. Really?”</p><p>  Dean looked down and patted on his belly, raising his eyebrows as he probably felt absolutely no pain for the first time in days. He grabbed his shirt and before Cas could react, tucked it out of his pants to check his unmarred stomach. The mage cleared his throat and looked away.</p><p>“That… Thanks, Cas. That´s kind of awesome”, Dean said after a moment.</p><p>“It´s my pleasure”, the mage said meekly. </p><p>  The hunter tucked his shirt in again and kept his hand on his belly for a second. His look on the mage was… softer. Castiel felt this could be an… opening?</p><p>“Dean…”, he murmured looking down in repentance, “I am really, really sorry about your sword. And the rest of your belongings. Truly. I just… wanted to heal you, and didn´t think of or see anything else. I guess… I don´t pay a lot of attention to material things. I do have anything I want whenever I ask for it. I should have realized sooner that I brought you here with nothing but the clothes you wore. I am sorry”</p><p>  The hunter kept looking at him for a second, gritting his teeth but obviously registering his apology, before he huffed and looked away.</p><p>“Yeah, I guess. I mean… Fuck, Cas. It´s important”</p><p>“I know that now”</p><p>“But well. You´re a healer, right? I guess it tracks that you fucking care more about my <em>life</em> than my sword…”, the hunter grunted as he scratched his head.</p><p>  Castiel observed him looking away for a second.</p><p>“I swear, I will replace anything you may have lost. I have the money. Even for a hunter´s sword”</p><p>“You can´t replace my sword”, Dean snorted, “It belonged to my father”</p><p>  The mage frowned in anxiety at that. The way he had said that… it really seemed that he actually meant <em>late </em>father.</p><p>“I… I am so sorry”, he said again, “Then… I will provide you with anything you need to repair it. I can take it to the castle´s blacksmiths. I… will find a way to explain why I need them to fix a hunter´s sword. But I will fix this, Dean”</p><p>  The hunter stayed looking away for some moments, before sighing and making a small tired smile.</p><p>“My Baby is strong. She´ll be fine. I really doubt someone could be roaming freely through that forest stealing stuff from the ground. It´s made of steel, iron and silver… so anything that tried to chew on it probably got its mouth burned. And there´s no hunter´s sword in the world that doesn’t resist a bit of bad weather”</p><p>“It… sounds really impressive. She”, the mage corrected himself.</p><p>  At that, the hunter turned to him chuckling a little, obviously having liked that.</p><p>“She is”, he agreed, then frowned, “I just, don´t like it, man. I keep her in top condition... I´ll just…”, he wrinkled his nose a little, as if battling with himself to actually let go, “… take extra care for it when we get her back, I guess”</p><p>“And I will buy you whatever you need for that”, said Castiel eagerly, “If you need anything”</p><p>  Dean´s slight smile stayed as he shook his head slightly.</p><p>“Okay, Cas. It´s okay. You get a pass, man. You did save my ass”</p><p>  The young mage took a deep breath and let it out in a silent sigh.</p><p>“I really want to help you hunt, Dean. I know I can. Here”, he said as he stretched his arm to take the two healing potions and handing them to him.</p><p>“You don´t want one for yourself?”, the hunter said, a bit confused as he took the bottles.</p><p>“If I get hurt, I can heal myself at will”, the mage smiled, “And heal you, too. These are in case I´m not close enough or fast enough to get to you. Just for emergencies. You can keep them for future hunts if we don’t ever use them in this endeavor”</p><p>  The hunter raised his eyebrows in appreciation as he took the bottles, unbelieving. Those were expensive.</p><p>“I´d advice to put the repellent on as we get on the field, since its effect doesn´t last long”, Cas added, “We will have to apply it several times over the day”</p><p>“You do have a lot of trinkets, I´ll give you that”, the hunter said as he put the potions on his potion holder at his hip before looking up at Cas, “Hm. Maybe this is not such a bad idea”, he said with half a smile.</p><p>  The healer made a small grateful smile before looking down.</p><p>“Okay. We´ve wasted enough time”, Dean snapped his fingers twice, “Gulp some breakfast and get us going”</p><p>“Yes”, the mage answered as he took a bowl and started to munch on some oatmeal.</p><p>  Dean stood up and started to pace in front of Cas, pensive.</p><p>“I´m guessing we are going to appear exactly where you found me?”<br/>“Yes”, said Cas, “A few steps to the right of the last monster you killed. Where you fainted”</p><p>“Okay… we do have an extra problem I hadn´t anticipated”, Dean said, stopping with an acid smile.</p><p>  Castiel looked up right after getting a spoonful in his mouth. He took a second to munch and gulp before asking:</p><p>“We do?”</p><p>“Yep. There are bound to be monsters, and I don’t have my sword”, he said, raising his eyebrows and tilting his head with an ironic smile, “Not a good combination in my book”</p><p>  The mage frowned.</p><p>“But… the sword will be right there”</p><p>“I doubt whatever´s there is kind enough for us to search around. Do you forget the wolves that tried to eat your ass? How long did they take them to get to you?”</p><p>  Castiel´s shoulders slumped down. He had actually struggled a lot to reach the bluestone, even though it had been so close…</p><p>“Do you think they will still be there?”, he said in a slightly whining tone.</p><p>“Them or something else that saw them and considered them, or the corpses, food”, Dean deadpanned, “Do you have a weapon you can lend me?”</p><p>“Ah… I only have my angel blade”, he said as he pointed to the desk, where his weapon waited at the ready. </p><p>  The hunter stood up to grab it and inspected it with a critical eye.</p><p>“Like the ones the army uses?”, Cas nodded, “Then it´s got silver in it. That´s good. But it´s so tiny, man. Practically a long dagger. Don’t they make them bigger?”</p><p>“Ah…”, Cas lowered his eyes, blushing slightly, “There is… a bigger model, yes, the angel swords or… Grigori swords, they are called. But, ah… They…”</p><p>“Are too heavy for you to use with those tiny arms, right?”, the hunter said with a scornful tone as he smirked up at him.</p><p>“Ah… yes”, Castiel admitted looking down.</p><p>“And how good are you with this? Be honest, I need to know”</p><p>  The mage pressed his lips and frowned.</p><p>“I… can trade blows with my… training companions”</p><p>“So not very good, huh? Have you killed something with this? Ever?”</p><p>“I… I´ve never been on the field, as I´ve already told you”</p><p>“Faaan-tastic”, grunted Dean, “I guess you can´t take us, I don’t know, some feet away from the stone proper”</p><p>“I… no”</p><p>“Tsk… Aight”, the hunter said with determination as he took the little blade by its handle, “I will be holding onto this for now, if we got nothing better. I guess I´ll be able to do something with it”</p><p>  The peasant started to make wrist movements with it, testing its balance; he twirled it around on his fingers.</p><p>“As for you and your magic”, he said raising his eyes to Cas, “what <em>can</em> you do?”</p><p> </p><p>  Castiel took a deep breath, heart thumping. They were both ready, standing by the bluestone. Dean had the angel blade on his hand, while Cas… had simply rolled up his sleeves.</p><p>  It was time.</p><p>“Once again”, Dean said, looking down at Cas intensely, “You take us there. No monsters, peachy; we get the sword, we get going. Monsters: defense. Do <em>not</em> attack. Unless I see otherwise, you are not good enough in combat to face anything. But you gotta get their attention. Distract them from me until I get Baby back. Are you sure you can keep pushing whatever comes at you without it reaching you?”</p><p>“Yes”, the mage said, but his voice was a little insecure, “If I don´t get surrounded”, he added under Dean´s scrutinizing gaze, “I can only defend myself in one direction, unless I use a lot of energy and do a circle, but…”, he trailed off, unsure.</p><p>“I will need only seconds, if we are so close. Hold on five seconds for me, Cas”</p><p>“I can do that”, the mage nodded, frowning in determination despite his nerves.</p><p>“Okay”, the hunter straightened his back and smirked slightly at him, “Then, whenever you´re ready”</p><p>  Cas took another deep breath. His mind raced, trying to think if he could be forgetting something, anything they might need. He went over the list of monsters he knew were most common on the Wyvernon Forest from his mental bestiary one last time. But finally, he pressed his lips. They had potions, Dean´s expertise, his magic, a plan. There was no more preparation he could make.</p><p>  It was time.</p><p>  Castiel closed his eyes, concentrating. He visualized the pushing spell, gave it form on his mind… and when it was done, he tried to keep it there as he licked his lips and started raising both his hands.</p><p>“Cas? Today?”</p><p>“Shh”, he made in annoyance.</p><p>  Without opening his eyes completely, he put a hand on Dean´s shoulder; his other one on the bluestone at the wall. This was the hard part: to actually perform the teleportation spell <em>without</em> losing the pushing spell from his mind. It was the first time he did something like that.</p><p>“Now”, he breathed, a warning.</p><p>  And they both vanished.</p><p>  When Cas opened his eyes, the light was suddenly bright, the air smelled fresh and humid, and around him a chorus of roars rose.</p><p>  So he released the spell that he held on his mind.</p><p>  Surprised whines rose as some of the closer creatures were swung in mid-air, the farther ones dragging their paws on the forest floor as they were pushed backwards.</p><p>  Dean wobbled at his side, their landing obviously not have been perfect, as Castiel blinked around and registered their surroundings. His heart leaped frantically as he saw the group of giant wolves- possibly the same pack from the other day- shaking their heads and trying to reorient themselves. He made a worried sound on his throat- they were <em>so many</em>.</p><p>“Focus, Cas!”, Dean screamed as he started running, making a circle around the pack, “Five seconds!!”</p><p>  Cas´s attention snapped back, his initial fear reigning down. They had a plan. This was just another training exercise- and he could do this.</p><p>“Hey!!”, he screamed furiously as he saw some beasts start trotting in Dean´s direction.</p><p>  And he raised a hand, light shining brightly, sparkling, dizzying.</p><p>  The things looked up at the light immediately. Giant wolves used light to find their prey, since they hid in shadows and prowled the forest clearings. It got their attention immediately, and after a moment of hesitation, they all howled and started running.</p><p>  Towards Cas.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>There it is!!! Part 1 is finished!!!!! WOOHOOO!!</p><p>Part 1- Room. Castiel´s world.<br/>Part 2- Forest. Dean´s world.<br/>Part 3- Starts when they find Sam. (...?)<br/>Part 4, final part- Oh you dont think Im gonna tell you what triggers this, do you?? xD Clue: it's a BIG THING. </p><p>When I started this fic, I was deeply depressed. Full pandemic raging, away from the boyfriend and friends, no hopes for studies or work- the only thing that gave some kind of sense to my life was creating a bit of this every day. The only difference between a day and the next was in which part of this story I was. Now things have changed a lot, but I am deeply grateful to this idea, to this project. The drive might not be the same- luckily my life has more sense now and the depression is I think overcome- and I am writing another fic, studying much more, creating several roleplays (Supernatural themed, by the way, and they are kinda awesome xD)... but I am determined to see this little thing grow and achieve completion. </p><p>To anyone accompanying me for the ride, thank you ^^. Im really glad you like my little world.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Into the Woods</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Road So Far: Castiel of the House of the Mighty goes with Castiel Winchester to the Doomed Forest of Wyvernon, to try and find Dean´s brother Sam, who got lost a bit more than a week ago. As they teleported in, Dean did not have his sword or any of his equipment, and a pack of giant wolves were feeding on the remains of the monsters he last killed. Cas has to distract them while Dean gets his gear- if his inexperience doesn't get him killed.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Oh, guys. I´m so, so happy for finally publishing this. It´s a new "season", a totally new part of the story. Finally we go after Sam, we are in the center of the story. Hard as it´s been, I´ve enjoyed so much designing and describing the forests. Cas and Dean start really working together. </p>
<p>I´m really sorry for the delay. Life is being *hard* lately, and my time is scarcing- also, my beautiful beta was super busy too. We are doing our best. But I´m not giving up :) Writing makes me truly happy, and seeing this little thing grow, is my biggest pride these days. </p>
<p>Also- we are celebrating!!!!!! To conmemorate that my most popular story, Try, got to 2,000 hits (I´m trying to celebrate kudos/hits milestones so writing is easier and more delightful for me), I´m publishing 2 chapters today: one of Kingdom of Heaven and one of Dreams of Perdition. I´m pretty happy about how both turned out. </p>
<p>Leave some kudos/small comment to give a boost of serotonin and energy to an stressed and broke student/writer that just got her laptop broken and lost a bit of what she last wrote xD I hope you like this one!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Castiel walked backwards, his eyes tracking all of the giant wolves in front of him. His right hand was raised up, the light spell dazzling in sparkling radiance; his left extended in front of him, ready for defense. His heart was beating fast, his breathing was panted.</p>
<p>  Holy shit, he had <em>never</em> done something like this. He remembered well the sting of fangs like those on his shoulder, on his leg, the sight of his own blood dripping. Cold sweat blossomed on his forehead. But he frowned, determined. He would not back down. He was trained. And they had a plan.</p>
<p>  Five seconds, Dean had said. He could do this. Just like any Academy exercise.</p>
<p>  He saw one of them crouch to jump and, unable to keep two spells at the same time, he let the light die out as he flung his left hand towards it: the creature was swatted in mid-jump and fell scrambling into the forest ground.</p>
<p>  Out of the corner of his eye he saw one of the things whirl its head back: Dean had run five or six steps around the pack and had stepped on a branch, calling to his attention. The beast´s eyes followed the hunter for a fraction of a second before turning to slowly pace towards him. Castiel saw with horror that while four wolves still focused on him, three more looked at their distracted brother, and then looked back at Dean too, limbs tensing to follow.</p>
<p>  The mage scowled and raised both arms in a wide circle, fingers curling as if he was grabbing the whole world. <br/>“Look at <em>me</em>!!”, he snarled as he took his fists down in a sudden motion.</p>
<p>  And all around him, kinetic energy descended from the sky in a circle, <em>booming</em> as the impact made the mantle of leaves of the forest ripple and spread out to the sides, the displaced wind shaking his hair.</p>
<p>  All of the beasts snapped their heads back to him, and even Dean stopped for a second to shoot a wide-eyed look at him. He had no time to further register the hunter´s reaction, because suddenly the creatures had spread widely around him.</p>
<p>  Holy shit. He had made it. He almost regretted it. So many eyes…</p>
<p>  Teeth lashed at him from the front, and he jumped back to dodge; and he immediately let out an exclamation as he felt pain on one of his ankles. He lashed a vicious push, and the wolf that had thrown a tentative paw slashing at him whined upon impact. The wound wasn’t incapacitating, but his ankle pulsed angrily and painfully at the rhythm of his pounding heart. They had formed a half-moon shape around him, and the mage could not see all of them at once. He panted, nervous, his eyes shifting in an attempt of seeing all of the beasts at once. No weapons. Only kinetic magic. He didn’t dare do a full circular push, what if he got Corrupted again? He wished he had at least a stick or something to put between him and the wolves. He tried to walk back hurriedly, limping slightly…</p>
<p>  And he tripped.</p>
<p>  He yelped in more surprise than pain as the fallen log caught on his foot, fell right onto his ass, and he knew <em>that was it</em>. As if things were suddenly slowed down; he saw the creatures crouch, their ears fold to their craniums, their fangs being bared…</p>
<p>  And as he saw teeth flashing fastly towards him, roars rising, he covered his head with his arms, gathering power desperately for an expansive wave that -he prayed- he could shoot in time to prevent the beasts from ending him.</p>
<p>  BOOM!!</p>
<p>“Hey!!!”</p>
<p>  The wolves and Cas looked up. </p>
<p>  Dean had his sword, he was standing in a clearing where sunlight shone onto through the trees… and he started to make his sword dance.</p>
<p>  Castiel´s eyes and mouth widened as he saw the steel swirl in front of the hunter, fly towards his side in a circular motion, go to his other hand, swirl over his head, go down again, to the other side; every movement catching the rays of the early morning sunshine, reflecting it back in a dazzling mirage. The black blade flew, its handle flowing on the hands of its owner like silk on water. Dean smirked, confident, even smoky; his eyes on the beasts, no attention paid whatsoever to the difficult display he was performing- as if the movement of his sword was so natural to him, that he could do it just with the back of his mind.</p>
<p>“Come at me, you dirty pooches…”, he showed his teeth in a defiant snarl.</p>
<p>  The eyes of most of the wolves were locked into the dazzling light show, and some started to slowly trot closer to the hunter. Two or three that almost had their teeth on Cas launched forward again, but the mage let out a frantic push of kinetic force against them that made them skitter on the forest ground. With a frustrated growl, possibly seeing that none of their attempts had gotten them closer to him, they turned to run at the blade wielder. Cas´s heart clenched in sudden apprehension- they were too many…</p>
<p>  But the hunter´s smile widened, welcoming, predatory, and eager.</p>
<p>  As the beasts got close, the sword´s dance halted, both the hunter´s hands on the hilt. Dean still made it make flowy movements, catching the rays of sun on the dark blade. His feet started to sidestep, carefully, his green eyes drinking all of his surroundings in tense calm. The giant wolves prowled, eyes on the light that glinted from the sword and the one that wielded it. As if measuring the magnitude of the threat it posed. A very strange, fragile calm was established, opponents observing with only slight movements happening.</p>
<p>  A single wolf lashed towards Dean, but a quick lateral lounge took him out of its reach. The beasts kept staring, most of them just looking. Two more of them jumped at him; two lateral strides took Dean completely out of their reach. Growls of complaint sounded in the forest clearing. Dean never stopped moving, slowly, but avoiding being surrounded.</p>
<p>  Until Dean had a single wolf on his right. Then, Castiel saw from where he sat how Dean smiled slightly to himself. He blinked as he recognized his angel blade on his left hand, never having seen how it had gotten there.</p>
<p>  The hunter suddenly jumped forward, and with a roar he lashed a quick downward attack that ended in a short whine and a body falling with a thump. Roars flared up, and <em>everything went nuts</em>.</p>
<p>  All of the beasts jumped towards Dean to attack him as he landed, while he was off-balance. He jumped back almost as soon as he touched the ground, dodging two wolves; he lashed at both with twin upward attacks that made them whine and retreat a couple of steps. He had to dodge, roll on the ground, jump as he got to his feet again as one after another the wolves lunged at him.  </p>
<p>  Cas held his breath, his heart frantic, as the movement became crazy. The creatures charged towards Dean in all directions, in a frenzy that made it difficult to understand what was going on.</p>
<p>  But Dean, as he dodged, as he moved; never stopped delivering short cuts to whichever creature he got close to. His weapons shone as the sunlight caught on the blades, and there was a moment where all Castiel could see was fur and flashes of light; all he could hear, roars, grunts and steel singing as the blades cut the air. After a moment the beasts slowed down, most slightly injured; and Dean stood in one place for a second, panting. Castiel´s heart leaped upon seeing that <em>he was unharmed</em>.</p>
<p>  Then Dean took the offensive. He charged towards two wolves, in his wake two bodies hit the ground. He whirled over his feet, swords flying around him, parallel to the ground: a wolf that was already jumping onto his back got twin killing blows to its face. The hunter walked back a step and dove into a roll to dodge an attack. As he got up, both blades crossed in front of him to slash to both sides as he jumped forward towards an enemy. Roars raised as a body fell with a thump into the leaves. The hunter immediately whirled, burying the angel blade on the head of a wolf that was jumping into his back; his sword immediately hacking in a wide horizontal arc scratching two creatures at his right, making them retreat a step. He retrieved the angel blade, facing his left, jumped back dodging a bite.</p>
<p>  Two wolves kept prowling towards Dean, but another one got his tail between its legs and looked back at Cas, started trotting towards him. Dean hacked down with his sword, whirled to dodge a bite directed to his ankle, and at the end of the turn he made a throwing motion towards Cas. Without looking at how the throw ended, he grabbed his sword with both hands and with a roar, he delivered a vertical cut that sent blood arching towards the sky, to immediately hack down with the strength of his whole body.</p>
<p>  And everything fell silent.</p>
<p>  A sound indicated that a head rolled through the leaves, but Cas didn’t see. Panting, he couldn´t tear his eyes away from the creature that had run towards him- Dean´s dagger buried to the hilt into its head, the creature limp on the floor. The mage blinked in confusion. He located his angel blade in one of the corpses on the ground. When Dean had switched weapons, letting go of his blade and taking the dagger from his belt, he had never seen it.</p>
<p>  Dean stood still, still crouching a bit, sword gripped in a low guard, blood dripping from it. His eyes scanned his surroundings for some seconds before he straightened in a gracious, flowing motion; sword calmly lowering, shoulders relaxing.</p>
<p>  And turned his head to look at Cas.</p>
<p>  The early sunlight illuminated his face and torso, and reflected on some tears made of blood that marred his cheeks. Castiel panicked for a second before realizing that the hunter had bloodstains on his clothes and face, but no wounds whatsoever. At his feet laid eight slain beasts that had never even gotten to hurt him- the ninth, next to Cas. His lean profile showed the mage the way his chest rose and fell in shallow pants. Gaze piercing, adrenaline making it shine. Jaw sharp, tilted up as he looked down at him.</p>
<p>  He looked at the mage, his eyes racking him up and down, and he smirked.</p>
<p>  And Cas, who was sitting on his ass, who had his mouth open in absolute bewilderment, felt his chest doing something very odd at the sight.</p>
<p>“You good?”, the hunter said, smirk still on.</p>
<p>  The mage nodded, stunned, before realizing he was still gaping- he closed his lips, licking them with still his eyes wide open.</p>
<p>“That…”, he mumbled, “That was incredible…”</p>
<p>“I´m a hunter”, Dean murmured in a low tone as he walked closer and passed a hand over his face to remove stains, smile never leaving him, “You´re either good or dead”</p>
<p>  Dean tilted to one side as he approached to get his dagger from a wolf´s skull, his pacing almost unfaltering, and got to Cas as he cleaned the blade on his pants.</p>
<p>“Sorry it was more ten seconds than five. I had to find the bomb in the bag to call their attention”</p>
<p>  <em>That… has been only ten seconds?</em>, Cas thought in dismay.</p>
<p>  He remembered that his fighting instructor had told him that in battle, a ton of things could happen in a handful of seconds- but he had never understood it till now.</p>
<p>“Bomb? That sound was a bomb?”, asked the mage, still trying to understand all that had happened.</p>
<p>“Yeah, a roarer. Lots of noise. Sammy does them for me. Figured it´d call their attention”, Dean said as he got in front of him, but then he frowned as he looked down at him, “You´re hurt?”</p>
<p>  The mage instinctively looked down at his bloodied ankle. Dean tsked in displeasure.</p>
<p>“No, no, no, it´s okay”, Cas said immediately, bending forward.</p>
<p>  He covered his ripped ankle with his hand for a few seconds. When he took it back, it was perfectly mended. Dean rose his eyebrows and made half a smile in Cas´s direction.</p>
<p>“Handy”, he said, extending a hand towards him.</p>
<p>  Cas took it and got to his feet, brushing leaves from his pants.</p>
<p>“Next time, try not to stay down so much”, Dean told him, “You can´t be on the ground, that´s a huge disadvantage. To your feet, as soon as you can”</p>
<p>  The mage blinked and nodded, understanding. He then realized he could have healed himself as Dean took care of the wolves… but he had been mesmerized.</p>
<p>“Let´s move fast”, the hunter continued, clapping his shoulder, “All that noise could have scared some things away, but it could attract others”</p>
<p>  Dean turned back then and started walking back towards the corpses of the woodland fiends. Cas trotted to get to his side, looking at the dead wolves… and grimaced in disgust as they got to the older corpses.</p>
<p>  The things had been dead for days now, exposed to critters and the elements. Half chewed, half decomposed; the smell they gave out was intense and abhorrent; a mix of death, bodily fluids and decay. He immediately ordered the skin on the inside of his nasal passages to stop working for a moment, and a second later he stopped smelling anything. He sighed. Better.</p>
<p>  Dean roamed around with his nose wrinkled until he crouched. He had found his bag, and he opened it and started rummaging inside.</p>
<p>“Ugh”, he made in disgust as he took out something wrapped up in cloth, “Spoiled rations…”</p>
<p>  Cas pressed his lips and looked away as Dean started taking all of his belongings out of the bag, not wanting to pry, and his eyes found one of the corpses. He realized with surprise, it had been the one he had chosen to try and take a tooth from it. He looked at it for a moment… before advancing and kneeling beside him. <br/>“What´cha doing?”, Dean asked, turning curiously towards him.</p>
<p>“I… We could find woodland fiends again, fight against them”, Cas said as he rummaged inside his bag for his silver pliers, “Or if Sam has been hunting in this area, he might have been bitten by one of these things. It´s good if we already have some teeth to make an antidote from”</p>
<p>“Hm, good thinking. You did have many problems to get one last time around”</p>
<p>  The mage winced at the memory for a second, but then focused. He closed his eyes for a second before pressing his lips and lifting the cracked and dry upper lip of the thing enough to see the fangs. He had been around corpses before… but human corpses, in good preservation conditions, disinfected… He took a breath and even with his nose deactivated, he thought he could <em>taste</em> the foul air. He made a small grunt as he quickly took the pliers to the first fang he saw, wanting to finish quickly. The sound the tooth did as he wretched it from the mandible was disgusting, wet, and ripping; but he was a doctor, he told himself. It didn’t matter that all he had practiced on were humans. This was just another body. Another disgusting, long-dead, decaying… body. He gulped, but persevered.</p>
<p>  When he had put three teeth in a glass jar and slightly cleaned them with some purifying light magic, Dean had finished taking the contents of his bag out- and his expression was full of annoyance.</p>
<p>“Is everything alright?”, the noble asked.</p>
<p>“Well, I had used all my potions, so no problem with those going bad and exploding or something. The bomb was in good shape, as we´ve seen. The rations are gone or ruined. Crossbow and darts are fine, knives too. The rest of my things were in reinforced leather bag inside, those are fine. But this”, he mentioned lifting the bag up, “is useless now”</p>
<p>  Creatures had bitten through the fabric, making holes in it, probably looking for the food inside.</p>
<p>“Use the bag of holding”, Cas provided, “I meant it when I told you to keep it”</p>
<p>  Dean looked at Cas with surprise and nodded, with a <em>suit yourself</em> kind of expression. The hunter had taken it with him, and was it straddling his shoulders, its outside appearance the one of a fancy brown leather backpack with runes carved in beige tones. He took it off and stood up, opening it, and unceremoniously turned it over.</p>
<p>  Another wolf corpse fell to the ground with a thud, the one that Dean had killed in Castiel´s room. The bag had not magically kept it unaltered, and it was eerie to see the difference between its appearance and the clean, still unaltered one of the wolves of its pack, now all of them laying dead on the forest.</p>
<p>  Without being asked, knowing fully how necessary it was, Cas walked there and touched the bag of holding for a second.</p>
<p>“Now it´s clean”, he announced.</p>
<p>  Dean nodded his thanks with a roll of his eyes, as if imagining putting all of his stuff in a bag full of half decomposed bodily fluids; and started putting his things inside.</p>
<p>“Would… you like me to clean your clothes?”, Cas offered.</p>
<p>  Dean raised his eyebrows and he looked down upon himself, but he snorted.</p>
<p>“I appreciate that, buddy, and it´s not like I enjoy the <em>awesome</em> feeling of a crusty shirt- but it’s a bit early in the day for that”, he chuckled.</p>
<p>  Castile blinked. Dean… expected to get even messier. Oh my god. Of course. They were there to hunt monsters. He took a deep breath. This would not be their first fight, and the rest might be as difficult as this one.</p>
<p>“Okay, Imma go see which way to go- we got no time to lose. We gotta find Sammy”</p>
<p>  Castiel nodded quickly. Their objective was clear: finding Dean´s brother. Someone needed help, and Castiel´s caretaker soul hurt for it. They would find him, and save him. And in the process… Cas would learn more than he could have learned in a whole Academy year, he was sure.</p>
<p>  The young mage´s heart started pounding. He looked around, and for the first time, he realized <em>where</em> he was, what he was <em>doing</em>. He was in one of the Doomed Forests of the Kingdom, the ones roamed by monsters. Where no one but crazy hunters would enter. He was defying the Academy´s rules, his family´s desires- to become better, faster. To get into Heaven´s Army… as soon as possible.</p>
<p>  Maybe he could even do it next year, he thought with a thrill. All his work, all his plans, all his dreams, coalescing so soon… All of it depending on this moment, he thought as he watched Dean examine the ground around them. This was his way towards his destiny.</p>
<p>“<em>Dammit</em>”, Dean grunted.</p>
<p>“What?”, Cas asked, suddenly worried.</p>
<p>“The trail. <em>The fucking trail</em>. It´s gone”</p>
<p>  Cas walked closer, brow pinched.</p>
<p>“I mean, why am I even surprised”, Dean groaned angrily, “It´s been days. Things have come around here to munch on the corpses, on the bag. It fucking <em>rained</em>. <em>Of course</em> some footprints left almost a week ago are long gone…”</p>
<p>“I thought we were using the map of the nests, go towards them instead of trying to find Sam´s trail. Wouldn´t that be faster?”, Cas asked in confusion.</p>
<p>“Well, of course, Cas- if <em>that´s</em> where Sammy´s really gone”, Dean answered, and he let out a frustrated sigh, “I preferred to check periodically if the trail and the way to the nest matched…”</p>
<p>  The hunter lost his gaze in the forest for a moment, longing and frustrated, until he closed his eyes as he let out a sharp huff.</p>
<p>“But we gotta take a leap of faith and work with what we got”, he said, turning towards Cas, and he extended a hand, “Map”</p>
<p>  Cas startled a second before opening his leather bag, its strap crossing his chest diagonally, to rummage inside for a moment before taking the map out and extending it to the hunter. The hunter´s eyes searched around them, locating landmarks to situate them on the map.</p>
<p>“Alright”, he said as he folded the map and tucked it into his belt, “Get your flying stone, mage”, Dean ordered as he looked at him, “Let´s start”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>  One of the first things Castiel learned was what a bad shape he was in.</p>
<p>  He had always been a bookworm: whenever he wasn’t at the Academy, he mostly stayed in his room; doing alchemy, completing his research, or reading. He had never seen the appeal of physical activities. But it´s not like he didn’t exercise. Twice a week the Academy held physical training, some light sparring with angel swords that he had never excelled at.</p>
<p>  Obviously, that was not enough to keep up with a hunter running in the wilderness.</p>
<p>  Dean had adopted a light jog that he had kept up <em>forever</em>. After three or four minutes Cas started to get winded, but he magically asked his lungs to provide more oxygen for him. After ten minutes, his legs started complaining, and he muted their demands by numbing the pain. Now, he had no idea how long they had run- but he was honestly starting to wonder if he would get Corrupted by using magic simply to keep up the damned pace.</p>
<p>  But he didn´t say a word. Dean had sternly told him that the second he slowed him down, he would ditch him. So he kept on pushing.</p>
<p>  Running was exhausting. Using magic was too, and he was aware that he should save some of his magical strength in case they run into trouble. At some point he had stopped giving himself magical help, and his breathing became winded, his steps started faltering.</p>
<p>  In a merciful turn of events, Dean turned his head to look towards him for the first time in what seemed like an hour, and he slowed down until he stopped. Cas stopped by his side, hands on his knees, feeling incredibly grateful.</p>
<p>“Sorry. I guess you´re not used to running. Wanna take a break?”</p>
<p>“I… If… If you want…”, Cas panted.</p>
<p>  Dean made half a smile and sat at the base of a tree. Cas followed him dragging his feet and plopped down.</p>
<p>“Well, you lasted a lot if you´re not trained”, the hunter commented.</p>
<p>  Cas just nodded as he concentrated on breathing. He was not willing to let Dean know he had been helping himself with magic the whole time. He took the handle of his travelling bag, which crossed his chest diagonally, over his head to leave it by his side; and toyed a bit with the protections on his forearms. He had not adjusted them enough, and they had moved a bit as he ran, leaving some marks on his skin. He willed them healed right away and started readjusting the buckles.</p>
<p>  He felt the pine needles prickling his butt as soon as he sat. He pressed his lips, a bit uncomfortable. He was wearing his brown trousers, the ones he used when he trained, but they had not been made to resist the elements. He wore his black boots, thankfully more resistant, and a pale beige and brown vest over that white shirt his brother had bought him that showed his neck and clavicle plus a little bit of his chest. Suddenly reminded, he grabbed at the tan cape that covered his whole ensemble and closed it over his throat, self-consciously. </p>
<p>  But Dean was paying no attention to his chest, or him, whatsoever. His green eyes were scanning the landscape around them, alert and attentive, as a slight breeze rustled a bit his dark blonde hair. Cas eyed him up and down, noting again his black boots and dark brown, leather reinforced trousers. Those were clothes more suited for the wilderness. The only note of color was his dark green shirt, half-hidden by a brown vest on his chest and black pieces of armor over his shoulders and arms. Probably that array of colors would be easily camouflaged if the hunter had to hide in the forest. </p>
<p>  <em>Flexible, Cas</em>, he told himself, and with a deep breath he forced himself to let go of the cape. Dean wasn´t looking anyway… </p>
<p>“Well, I gotta say, that monster repellent smells like hell, but works like a charm”, the hunter said as he took his bag from his shoulders and dropped it on the forest floor beside him, “We haven´t found anything yet. Last time I was here, I had to stop and fight something every ten fucking minutes”</p>
<p>  Cas smiled a bit at that, happy of having been helpful. They had put on the ointment before the start of their little race, and Dean had started complaining colorfully and thoroughly as soon as the bottle had been opened. The smell was unpleasant for Cas, but apparently nauseating for Dean. Only reminding him that Sam was waiting had made him stop bickering and finally put it on, grimace on his face the whole while.  </p>
<p>“You sure you don’t have any substitute or something?”, the hunter groaned as he started rummaging inside his bag.</p>
<p>“That´s… the only recipe I know”, Cas smiled faintly.</p>
<p>“No wonder every fucking living thing wants to get away from <em>this</em>”, he complained as he took the waterskin and took long gulps, grimaced in disgust as he took it off his lips, “Jesus, the freaking <em>water</em> tastes like it”</p>
<p>  Cas opened his mouth to provide that it didn’t, it was that his nostrils were saturated with the smell and provided him a false sense of taste… but he was too winded to give long speeches. He closed his mouth again. He had made his own nostrils become able to smell again as soon as they had walked away from the corpses, and the initial intensity of the change had been so strong, the ointment so pungent, that he had to agree with Dean for a moment. Now, not only his sense had accommodated to his normal levels, but his lungs and throat were simply <em>on fire</em>- and he couldn’t care less about smells.</p>
<p>  Something appeared in front of him and he blinked. Dean was offering the waterskin to Cas. </p>
<p>“Oh, oh, <em>yes</em>, thank you”</p>
<p>  He took it and greedily gulped repeatedly. The cool water calmed his throat blissfully.</p>
<p>“Easy, tiger”, Dean chuckled, “You don’t wanna have too much if we´re gonna continue running”</p>
<p>  Cas stopped drinking, and looked at Dean while he panted, waterskin still in hand. </p>
<p>“How long to the nest yet?”, he asked.</p>
<p>  The hunter made half a smile, eyes on the forest.</p>
<p>“Still a lot, Cas. We might get there at the end of the day, if we make good pace”</p>
<p>  The mage couldn’t help but make a groan of disappointment. Dean turned amused eyes to him.</p>
<p>“You sure you don’t wanna give up already?”</p>
<p>“No”, Cas answered sternly before taking a determined last gulp and handing the water back to the hunter, “I need this, Dean”</p>
<p>  The hunter´s eyes locked into his at that. Dean stood pensive looking at him for a moment.</p>
<p>“I´ve been thinking, man. This is really dangerous, and it´s not gonna be easy for you. It´s already difficult, as I see it”, he quirked an eyebrow at him, implying his panting breath.</p>
<p>  Castiel frowned, and took a moment to try and steady his breathing. <br/>“Are you gonna imply how much I suck again?”, he deadpanned after that moment.</p>
<p>  Dean chuckled, amused at that.</p>
<p>“I´m just saying, this… training, this learning you want. You must care a lot about it”, he said as his eyes wandered over the trees again.</p>
<p>“I do. I… There are… some tests I have to pass”, Castiel tried to explain, “Not only knowledge, but also performance. And as you saw, my first performance with the wolves left… lots of room for improvement”</p>
<p>“Yeah but… you´re studying already, right? You mentioned an Academy? That you trained there for years”</p>
<p>“… yes. Still some years to come. Unless I shorten them”</p>
<p>“So? You in a rush? Really, really want to be some teacher´s pet? Or do you gotta be the best mage that ever was?”</p>
<p>  Cas looked at him, a swirl of emotions stirring in his belly. His initial glee for being where he was dissipated as his usual worries came back into his head. He unintentionally let out a sigh. He stayed silent for a moment, expression serious and somber, as he searched for words.</p>
<p>“I don´t just need to pass the tests. I need to pass them <em>soon</em>”, he finally said.</p>
<p>  Dean looked at him at that again.</p>
<p>“Why?”, the hunter asked nonchalantly; but his tone was a bit more serious, and his eyes searching, “Have a deadline?”</p>
<p>  <em>The wedding</em>, Castiel´s brain provided.</p>
<p>  He didn´t answer, but he couldn’t help his frown from appearing, and his face must have visibly fallen cause Dean frowned and tilted his head slightly in confusion or worry.</p>
<p>“The sooner, the better”, Castiel provided quickly, steeling his expression, “I need all the extra practice and training I can get, that´s all”</p>
<p>  <em>As soon as I get into the Army, everything will be alright</em>, he told himself for the thousandth time.</p>
<p>  The hunter seemed curious, but the mage didn´t add anything else as he looked around for anything that would help him change the subject. </p>
<p>  The sight immediately changed his thoughts, calming them. He couldn’t help but smile, reveling in the sight. He had seen the Doomed Forest of Wyvernon a thousand times from the air- but so little of what was beneath the treetops.</p>
<p>  Right now, they were closer to the High Academy of Magic, situated on a mountain top; than the Mighty Spire, placed on a valley in the very center of the Azula region. The altitude was considerable, so only conifers and small bushes like junipers or heathers grew here. Like in any Doomed Forest, where plants and monsters seemed to grow exceptionally big, the pines there were wide enough for two people to be able to surround them with their meeting arms. However, this part of the woods was not densely packed, so he could see a bit into the distance, and except in regions where several pines had huddled together, the branches allowed him to see the sky.</p>
<p>  Cas took his hand to the ground, touching its natural blanket of pine needles that pricked a bit at him as he sat. He knew how their presence made the floor more acid, too much for many little species that usually carpeted the forests to survive. He knew those pine needles were the reason the terrain was as uniform as it was, and that they could run so easily. Usually, treading a forest was difficult and energy costing.</p>
<p>  <em>So it´s your fault I´m gonna cough my lungs soon</em>, he told them mentally, but he was smiling.</p>
<p>  He loved knowing things like that about the world. Gabriel called him a nerd. He had never said he wasn’t right. The natural world was beautiful and fascinating, and he liked it more the more he learned about it.</p>
<p>  Both men were quiet, and Cas drunk every second of that moment. Birds flapped their wings, some chirps coming from the pine branches. The rustling steps of what Cas deduced would be a bunny or a possum, possibly running away from the manticore scent the humans were wearing, rustled the pine needles until they faded. Insects could be heard around. The noble searched for them, finding close by some heather bushes, their branched pink flowers prowled by buzzing little creatures…</p>
<p>  Castiel blinked. Was that…? His brow furrowed, trying to understand. Wondering. But… it was. It… it really was, he realized as his eyes widened.</p>
<p>“Dean”, he said, almost out of breath.</p>
<p>  The monster hunter swirled to him, registered his expression- his wide eyes, his slack jaw- and immediately took his hand to his sword.</p>
<p>“What?”, he asked in a crisp whisper.</p>
<p>“<em>Dean</em>…”, Cas repeated, speechless.</p>
<p>“What is it?”, the hunter asked impatiently, eyes searching frantically around the trees.</p>
<p>“… a honeybee!”</p>
<p>  He saw from the corner of his eye how the hunter blinked and slowly turned scowling eyes to him.</p>
<p>“<em>What</em>?”, he said in the most indignant tone.</p>
<p>“That´s a <em>golden honeybee</em>, Dean!”, Cas exclaimed, heart pounding, getting to his feet.</p>
<p>“Oh my god. It’s a bee. Rejoice”, the hunter said in a dry tone, huffing annoyedly.</p>
<p>“You don’t understand, they are supposed to be extinct!!”, he said in an excited whisper as he started walking towards the flowering bushes, “There have been no reports of hives since Heaven´s War, it was believed that Crowley´s army destroyed them all…”</p>
<p>“Dude. Don´t wander off into the forest following a bee”, Dean´s dry voice sounded a bit far from him.</p>
<p>“… because their honey and beeswax, are richer in biomantic particles than any other known substance, and the rebellion was using them to heal their troops, it was a cheap and they were everywhere…”, Cas continued in his most excited tone.</p>
<p>“Oh, for <em>God´s sake</em>…”, he heard Dean grunt behind him, and the sounds of him getting to his feet.</p>
<p>  Cas got closer, entering one of those parts where several pines grew closer. The light was a bit weaker there, but it was unmistakable. The yellow stripes of the insect shone in little golden specks. Cas did not remember them from when he was a kid, but he had seen illustrations. But it was it. The little thing finished with one branch and flew to the next, buzzing calmly, unaware of its importance. He smiled as he saw its little legs pat at some flowers, until it managed to latch there, its buzzing stopping as those little wings became motionless. Cas gulped, getting closer very slowly. If he could take a specimen back in a glass jar… No, even better, if he could follow it to the hive, locate…</p>
<p>“<em>Cas</em>!!”</p>
<p>  Dean´s bark startled him and made him look up in time to see something sharp flying towards his face.</p>
<p>  A swishing sound pierced his ear a fraction of a second before something hit the <em>whatever</em> with a thud, and a big thing screeched loudly as it retreated a step, clutching at the tree bark of one of the pines.</p>
<p>  Cas yelped and fell back, eyes wide, looked up… and saw nothing. Where was it? His eyes searched wildly, he had seen something brown, or gray, and what seemed like a…  A blade of some…?</p>
<p>  A blade appeared out of nowhere, from behind a blur flew over him, and a clang resonated in the forest.</p>
<p>  Dean bared his teeth, neck tense as his sword stopped the enemy´s attack. He had jumped over Cas and had both feet firmly grounded between the noble´s legs. The creature in front of him struggled to make its attack pass through and screeched, and that´s what made Cas finally able to see it.</p>
<p>  Its brownish chitin seemed cracked, like the bark of a pine. It was almost as tall as Cas, but immobile in front of the tree, he hadn’t seen it. Now, it crouched towards, locked with Dean´s weapon; but still Cas did not totally understand what he was seeing, his sight confused as the image of the chitin overlapped with the one of the pines behind. It seemed to him that a man had put on a tree bark costume and… folded his knees backwards? <br/>  The thing screeched, middle legs twitching; and it’s free scythe flew up, quick as thought. Dean pushed forcefully the other scythe away and jumped back, over one of Castiel´s legs, dodging the lightning speeded new attack.</p>
<p>  Before the thing had regained its balance to attack again, Dean had roared and hacked it down its middle with a crunching sound.</p>
<p>  The mage scrambled back and into his feet, the upper body falling by his side and twitching, scythes a foot from his face. He walked back a few steps, panting as his heart pounded in absolute terror, eyes locked on the monster.</p>
<p>  And he finally recognized what it was.</p>
<p>  Between chitinous shields, the mage could see the black intersections of its articulated body. Two back-jointed legs, wider than the two on his abdomen, were there to hold its weight. The ones of the abdomen were smaller and arched strangely towards its back. The upper appendages ended in what resembled a mantis´s scythes- obviously resistant enough to stop the advance of the Impala. </p>
<p>  It was a lignarium. A creature specific of pine predominant biomes, specialist on camouflaging against its bark. It used the middle, backwards arms to latch into a tree and wait until a prey got close enough… <em>to sever its head before it knows what happene</em>d, he remembered with a chill.</p>
<p>  If Dean hadn´t warned him…</p>
<p>  He lifted his wide blue eyes to the hunter. He still had his teeth bared as he hacked down on both the scythes, severing them from the creature so that if it still moved, it couldn’t harm them. Dark ichor splashed at the impacts, joining the pool that flowed from the severed torso and that the forest floor was absorbing thirstily. Cas took an involuntary step back, away from the splashes. One of the hunter´s pantlegs was thoroughly stained with it.</p>
<p>  Dean´s green eyes finally rose to his, hard as stone.</p>
<p>“Don’t”, he grunted pointedly, “wander. Off”</p>
<p>  Cas, his mouth still wide open, closed it to gulp and nodded, frowning slightly. Dean´s severe gaze still pierced him, and he started to feel uncomfortable- and ashamed.</p>
<p>“You´re in a Doomed Forest, Castiel”, the hunter growled in a low tone, “You can´t let your guard down, not even if we´re resting. <em>Anything </em>can come at us, from <em>anywhere</em>. From the sides, from behind. From above, on the trees, or come down flying. From below, <em>through the ground</em>”</p>
<p>  Cas opened his mouth a bit and looked at his feet. Holy God, he was right. There was a big plethora of ground-digging creatures…</p>
<p>  <em>Real life</em>, he thought, <em>Not a controlled environment. Every possibility. </em></p>
<p>“I´m sorry”, Cas muttered, eyes low.</p>
<p>  Dean looked at him for another second, then let out a sigh while he shook his head, anger slipping into disappointment and maybe relief. </p>
<p>“You good?”, the hunter grunted wryly, but softer.</p>
<p>“Yes. Thank you”, he looked down in slight embarrassment.</p>
<p>“What did I tell you about staying on the ground?”, Dean added as he turned completely to him with an irritated frown.</p>
<p>“You… you´re right. I´ll remember it”</p>
<p>  Dean looked at him for a moment, frown kept.</p>
<p>“Man”, the hunter added in a complaining tone, “You´re not tuned with your instincts <em>at all</em>, are you? You had no idea something dangerous was out there”</p>
<p>  The mage looked at Dean, not understanding what he meant at all. How would he know? That… was the whole hunting strategy of the lignarium.</p>
<p>“I… no”</p>
<p>“Well”, the hunter made a brusque movement with his sword to one side, ichor splashing from it, “Until you are- if you ever are- you be extra careful. Look around you, at all times. I haven’t stopped checking around since we stopped, if you haven´t noticed. You gotta do the same”</p>
<p>  The noble blinked. That… was why he wouldn’t look at him as they talked…</p>
<p>  Dean stared at him, pensively, for what seemed like eons to Cas.   </p>
<p>“Look. I get it, okay?”, he finally said, his face more serene, but his tone dangerously final, “You´re new, you´ve never done this, I know- but you gotta learn fast. I´m not bringing you here to get you killed, Cas…”, he started.</p>
<p>“You haven´t”, Castiel said quickly, “I´ll… I´ll pay more attention. I swear. And I swear I won´t slow you down. Or wander off again”</p>
<p>  Dean sighed as he shook his head. Then he seethed his sword and started walking back toward their bags.</p>
<p>“Come on. We´ve rested enough already”</p>
<p>  Cas couldn’t disagree more. The scare had not helped him regain his strength at all, his heart was still frantic; but he didn’t dare contradict Dean.</p>
<p>  Castiel closed his eyes for a second, taking a deep breath that he let out in a sigh. He allowed himself to feel for a second. The lingering fear, the embarrassment, the enormous frustration that kept growing. He felt useless.</p>
<p><em>I´m learning</em>, he told himself, <em>I´ll keep trying. I´ll get better</em>.</p>
<p>  Then he realized he was not keeping his guard at all, and opened his eyes again. Dean was swinging the bag of holding over his shoulder. He looked back at Cas, as if wondering what the hell was he still doing there.</p>
<p>  The mage steeled his resolution and trotted quickly after the hunter. Behind them, the severed monster was still twitching on the ground. The bee was gone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Poor Cas. This chapter is mostly to show the shock he faces in front of all the new things. The filthiness of the real hunting giz, the crudeness on how Dean dispatches the last monster, how he´s just not trained or accostumed to any of this... He´s gotta suck for now xD I love it- cause it leaves room for character development ^^  This whole story is about how much Cas learns, grows and matures through the story. </p>
<p>Also, till now Dean´s mostly sucked cause he was hurt and out of his element. Its *his* time to be cool! ^^</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Leap of Faith</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Road So Far: Castiel and Dean have gone into the forest, looking for Sam. After fighting some giant wolves and a lignarium, they continue in the direction of the northern rawhead´s nest, hoping to find Sam´s trail along the way... or even himself.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>*enigmatic smile*</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Dean made Cas run for some more minutes before reducing the pace. Not out of mercy, however. The terrain started changing.</p><p>  The spaced conifers gave way to a mixed forest of oaks and maples that joined the pines and firs. Summer was starting, so even though the forest floor still had a patchy blanket of brown and red leaves, most of the deciduous trees had green growing leaves on their strong branches already. Amongst the fallen leaves, some tree roots rose and dived down again, twisting amongst the ferns that grew in patches on the ground and the lowest part of the tree trunks. The ferns that grew on the trees fought for space there with the intertwining stems of ivys that climbed up and around saprophyte mushrooms that grew horizontally, huddled together in little groups, high enough on the trees so that most creatures couldn’t reach them. Even though the light was a bit dwindled by the treetops, the decline in altitude allowed the presence of so much more vegetal life- and running was not an option anymore.</p><p>“Whoa…”, Cas interjected as he passed a hand beneath a fern leaf, as long as his forearm.</p><p>  It was huge and beautiful, remarkably healthy, its deep green shining as in joy. He wished for a moment he could take a specimen home, keep it in his room or in the gardens- but he knew it would not survive long in the Spire grounds. </p><p>  Most plants and creatures tended to grow in a larger measure in the Doomed Forests, the ones roamed by monsters, than in other places. It was well known that in those places, the ambient magic was higher than in the populated areas, than in the villages and fortresses; and most scholars agreed there was a relationship between both facts. After all, more ambient magic meant more biomantic particles for the forms of life to grow big and strong throughout the years, more healing energy for them to recover from diseases and injuries. The ingredients taken from Doomed Forests were the richest, most concentrated ones, as well as the most dangerous ones to obtain.  </p><p>  Why there was more magic in the Doomed Forests, that was a matter that had not been settled yet. Some theorists argued that mages might have depleted the populated areas of magic due to its intensive use during Heaven´s War. Others argued that it was the unique environment of the Doomed Forests that originated the rise in the levels, that monsters and magical creatures exuded magic to their surroundings. Since most of the records from before Heaven´s War had been lost, there was no way to really know.</p><p>“Hey. Can we focus?”</p><p>  Castiel looked up at Dean´s snap, who was looking annoyingly at him.</p><p>“Sorry”, he said, letting the fern leaf fall and trotting towards the hunter.</p><p>“Okay. Plants are denser here, so watch your step. In every sense. For one, raise your knees higher than you usually do, step with determination so you don’t slip on the leaves. Also, remember there can be things in the bushes, in the trees, or beneath the ferns or fallen leaves. Don’t forget to stay alert and watch your surroundings. I´ll take the lead, you follow”</p><p>  The noble blinked in confusion for a second. So… he was supposed to watch where he stepped, around him, above him, and not lose sight of Dean? How was he supposed to do all of that?</p><p>“Don’t get distracted, and don´t wander off”, Dean continued instructing him.</p><p>“Of course”, he nodded.</p><p>  The hunter gave him a curt nod before turning his back to him, his sword attached to it. Cas checked for a second that he still had his angel blade on the sheath attached to the inner part of his right arm protector before following suit.</p><p>  It was very strange, feeling the brush of leaves at every step, knowing it could be leaves, or <em>maybe not</em>. The ferns hid roots he tripped with several times, but none enough to make him embarrassingly fall down onto his face. Every time, Dean snapped his head back to him, checked he was fine with his lips pressed, and continued.</p><p>“Try to step where I step”, the hunter grunted without looking back at trip number seven.</p><p>  The noble was frustratedly surprised. He had always thought that the problems he´d face once he started going on expeditions would be related to monsters and the creatures he encountered. He never thought the <em>terrain</em> would be something to take into account.</p><p>  He was determined, however. There were few things he was more stubborn about than his self-improvement. Following Dean´s footsteps literally was a huge help- and after a while, he stopped tripping, and even felt he had gotten the hang of it.</p><p>  He didn’t realize he had paid no attention whatsoever to his surroundings until Dean firmly grabbed his arm, turned him towards him, and covered his mouth.</p><p>  The mage blinked, surprised, face inches from Dean´s. The hunter´s expression was serious, frowning deeply, before he made a gesture with his head towards one side.</p><p>  He looked that way- and the gasp he started to make was cut by Dean leaning strongly onto him, widening his eyes in a warning. Castiel, eyes wide, gulped and nodded. Dean took his hand from his mouth very slowly and looked back at the monsters.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Source: https://game8.co/games/Witcher3/archives/275726<br/></em>
</p><p>  Two huge things prowled up ahead. They looked very much like scorpions. Longer than they were tall, they had segmented bodies covered in a hardened blue and brown shell; with eight articulated legs. Their tails, however, ended up in an engrossed mass of spikes.</p><p>  Their heads would reach up to Castiel´s chest, and they were bigger than horses.</p><p>  He had never seen anything so massive in his life. Their two front legs ended in razor talons and looked well suited for fighting. They were still at a distance, but he could imagine them noticing the two humans suddenly… and attacking. The mage stood looking, awestruck, until Dean nudged him slightly towards one side and as he put a finger to his lips. He had silently taken his sword out, and held it on his right. Cas shook his arm to slide his angel blade to his hand and nodded, gulping again. They started to move silently to one side, making a wide detour around the things.</p><p>  Cas froze when one made a short grumbling sound. It clacked its mandibles two times, audibly even from the sensible distance Dean had kept between them- but the creature simply lowered its head to reach some fern leaves. It started munching on them, spiked tail swinging slowly to one side and the other. Its partner laid motionless, body resting on the ground, legs bent as close to its body as possible. His heart thumping on his chest, Cas quickly restarted moving.</p><p>  He didn’t dare speak until the hunter did.</p><p>“Well. No wonder there´s almost nothing in this part of the forest”, the hunter said, and he looked up at the mage, “Those were…”</p><p>“Endregas, I know”, Cas interjected, “I studied them. Had never seen one in the flesh until now, however”</p><p>“Impressive things, huh?”</p><p>“Yes”, the mage cast a glance back, a chill running down his spine.</p><p>“They are not unkillable, but it can get pretty messy. I wouldn’t like facing two at a time. And we don’t have much time to waste”, Dean explained.</p><p>“Yeah, good idea, not engaging”</p><p>  <em>Do not engage alone</em>, he remembered his notes saying about the endregas. He had the feeling he was going to remember those words many times.</p><p>  Their detour took them to a clearing between the trees. The tall giants hadn´t grown there, and the higher amount of light had resulted in a sea of green, made of giant fern leaves that grew up to Castiel´s knees. It made a wide circle, surrounded by oaks and firs and tall bushes that also stretched towards the light.</p><p>  Dean suddenly grabbed his wrist, fingers of steel, and the mage stopped on his tracks as he snapped his eyes up. The hunter´s gaze was passing over the clearing, searching.</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>“The trees. Notice how they´re suddenly <em>not</em> growing here?”</p><p>“Yeah…”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>  Cas blinked and looked again. There was not a creature in sight. No birds, no monsters, nothing but plants all around. The bushes at the other side of the clearing had flowers as big as his spread hand. At several points, some junipers broke the fern sea. He didn´t see anything particular.</p><p>“I-I don’t know…”, he answered, though he knew Dean was not searching for an answer from him.</p><p>  If he were a biomancer like his brother Gabriel, if he knew more about using life magic, he could have easily touched the ground and ask the forest. But he wasn’t. The biggest feat he had ever done with life magic was changing his own eyes, and probably because changing one´s body was very close to healing magic. He couldn´t make a plant bloom even if it killed him.</p><p>  The grip of the hunter´s hand on Castiel´s wrist remained for a second, as if reluctant, before letting go. A small blush crept up Castiel´s face at the slight, obviously accidental brush of his fingers retreating, the contact of skin on skin in one of those areas nobility usually kept hidden.</p><p>“Be careful”, Dean finally murmured, letting go of his wrist, “Don´t trust clearings. Too exposed”</p><p>  Cas gulped. He still felt the phantom pressure of Dean´s fingers on him… But he shook his head. This was no moment for such thoughts.</p><p>  <em>Don´t get distracted</em>, he heard Dean´s voice in his head, and he bit his lip as he advanced.</p><p>  Dean walked two steps in front of him, sword held by both hands, his alert gaze sweeping their surroundings mercilessly. Cas had no idea why Dean had been so calm in front of the endregas, yet so spooked about an empty clearing. Maybe it was an instincts thing. Actually… he didn´t feel safe there, he realized as they crossed the clearing. It could well be the scare the endregas had given him. Or the strange feeling of seeing the open sky above him… For some reason, he looked to his left. He felt that… maybe something was there. But… he couldn’t pinpoint it.</p><p>“What is it?”, Dean asked him over his shoulder.</p><p>“I… I don´t know”, he said again, wise as ever.</p><p>  He frowned and for some reason closed his eyes, concentrating…</p><p>  He felt something. Like… a presence? Or a source of… energy? Magic? It was faint but… inciting. Something almost pulled from him in that direction, but if it was simply his own curiosity, he didn’t know.</p><p>  His enthrallment broke when something touched him.</p><p>“Ah!!”, he exclaimed, jumping back startled.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“S-Something… brushed my foot”, he babbled.</p><p>“Behind me, back to back, now”</p><p>  Cas obeyed, and with Dean´s heat behind him, he looked in all directions. Heavens, anything could be beneath the ferns. Damned giant plants. It was a very good hunting strategy, actually, hiding there. Good hunting grounds…</p><p>“<em>There</em>”, Dean barked in a low tone as he pointed.</p><p>  Castiel whirled his head in that direction- and saw the fern leaves disturbed… making a beeline of shaking plants towards them.</p><p>“Oh…”, he said involuntarily.</p><p>“More incoming”, Dean announced.</p><p>  Over his shoulder, Cas saw three more lines marching toward Dean. Spooked, he looked to his front.</p><p>“More on this side”, he croaked, pressing towards Dean´s back.</p><p>“Calm down”, Dean grumbled, serene and focus, “Small things are manageable. You have a blade, you know how to use it”</p><p>  Yes, if they could hide in the ferns, it meant that they weren´t as tall as his knees. Cas took a shaky breath and nodded, though a little voice on the back of his head reminded him how Dean had said earlier that he didn’t know how to use a sword if he hadn´t ever killed anything with it.</p><p>  <em>Then maybe this is the moment</em>, he thought, breathing deep. </p><p>“Stay defensive”, Dean kept instructing, “Only worry about the ones on your side Keep them occupied till I can deal with´em”</p><p>  Getting closer.</p><p>“Like the wolves”, Cas said.</p><p>“Exactly”, Dean grunted, and the mage could hear the smile in his voice.</p><p>  They had done this before. They could do it again.</p><p>  Even closer. <em>Too much</em>. </p><p>  Cas made a claw of his left hand, gathering energy, and threw it forward when one of the trails got uncomfortably near. The pulse of force that surged from him shook the ferns, leaves swept up as if by a sudden gale, revealing the floor behind them- and a sliding creature that was starting to curve up. The spell caught onto it with full force and toppled it backwards, showing a myriad of a thousand skittling little legs.</p><p>  The giant centipede, body as wide as Castiel´s, chitin of greenish blue; screeched, part of its back to the forest floor. But immediately its tail, its legs still on the earth, partly still hidden by the ferns but obviously several feet long, undulated in a way that made its middle turn towards the ground. The wave climbed up its body until its head was again facing down, this time over the fern leaves it had crushed.</p><p>  And continued advancing.</p><p>“Holy…!”, he started exclaiming.</p><p>  But another of the trails suddenly appeared, and he jumped to one side. He almost fell upon landing, feet slipping on something round and squishy, and he looked alarmed towards Dean, guilt clutching at his chest- who undoubtedly would have just got an enemy jumping into his back.</p><p>  But the hunter had dodged masterfully to one side, and in the next instant he hacked down with a grunt, sword in both hands, and severed the head that just passed him.</p><p>  <em>Don’t get distracted</em>, he remembered again; and Cas looked around, heart thumping frantically on his chest. He located another trail of moving ferns going his way and he turned to face it, angel blade tightly gripped on his hand, jaw tense.</p><p>  He was ready.</p><p>  But not for something to grab his ankle and yank the floor from beneath his feet.</p><p>  He landed on the floor with a grunt, barely able to absorb the impact with his arms and almost losing his blade with the hit.</p><p>“Cas!”, he heard.</p><p>  And then something of a huge strength was dragging him over the forest ground.</p><p> </p><p>  Roots hit his knees and chest as he went, fern leaves slapping on his back; as he grunted, as he tried to grab onto something. The tugging, inciting presence he had sensed earlier just grew and grew. Whatever it was holding him slid up his leg and reached for his other one, joining them in a death grip- and in a tussle Castiel was able to turn up.</p><p>  What he saw froze the blood in his veins.</p><p>  Green vines as thick as his forearms rippled over and beneath the ferns, extending to all sides as in searching; all of them parting from the same point: the bushes at the other end of the clearing, which seemed to have… awakened. Stems with leaves as wide as Castiel´s face were <em>moving</em>, turning, somehow searching. The red flowers as big as the mage´s hands somehow opened, and opened, <em>and opened</em>; and before the noble could understand that what he had initially seen was just the tip of something closed; flowers with their red petals curved forward, the cavity made by them big enough to contain a full-grown man, were fully displayed, viscous fluids dripping from their sides. The forest floor steamed when a drop of mucus hit the fallen dead leaves.</p><p>  As he was quickly and inexorably dragged towards it, Castiel screamed.</p><p>“Cas!!!”, he heard Dean shout behind him.</p><p>  The mage, in a panic, turned and tried to hold on to the passing plants, letting go completely of his blade. He was suddenly somehow gripping for dear life to a bunch of fern leaves, and the pull of the vines on him made him lift up from the ground. He grunted in pain as they dug into his muscles.</p><p>  And the fern leaves started to rip.</p><p>“No…!!”, he exclaimed.</p><p>  But they broke.</p><p>  And an arm caught his arm.</p><p>  Dean gritted his teeth, jaw clenched, as he dug his heels in the ground, his weight tilted backwards. His sword was on his right hand, his left fingers were clasping at Castiel´s forearm.</p><p>“Dean!!”</p><p>“Get rid of your magical gear, man! These things eat magic!”</p><p>“<em>I´m</em> made of magic, I´m the most magical thing in this damned forest!!”<br/>  The hunter´s eyes widened in realization.</p><p>“Behind you!!”, Cas shouted.</p><p>  Dean whirled over his heels and slashed horizontally at a centipede that was charging towards him. He cut it in half, ichor splashing at them both; but his footing slipped, and Cas let out an exclamation as he felt both of them dragging one more foot towards the plant.</p><p>  The mage panted, grunting slightly in pain. His legs were being crushed, Dean´s hand on his arm thankfully unrelenting on his skin- but this would not last. The hunter seemed to have outrun the centipedes, but they were catching up- Cas could see three trails on the ferns coming in their direction. He would not be able to dodge or maneuver, pinned to one spot. They were at an impasse.</p><p>“Can you throw fire?”, Dean asked without looking at him, eyes trailing the incoming enemies.</p><p>“No!”</p><p>“Goddamit…”, he grunted.</p><p>  A centipede suddenly rose from the ferns and threw itself at Dean. He gave a step back, and at the sudden lack of resistance the vines tugged more forcefully- Dean´s hand slipped from his forearm to his wrist.<br/>“Aah!!”</p><p>“I got you, I got you! Hnng!”, he grunted as the centipede reached him anyway, and he stopped its clacking mandibles with his sword.</p><p>  Castiel´s mind was racing. He really didn´t have that many resources. Light magic would do nothing now, but…</p><p>  He looked back at the drooling, menacing plant- seeing now that he was closer that the bottom of the flowers ended in a tube that would continue down the stem… and that at the base of several stems were swollen lumps, obviously containing other creatures the plant had previously captured and were still being digested.</p><p>  Grimacing, eager not to become the next lump, he threw the biggest pulse of force he could muster under his nerves.</p><p>  The flowerheads reeled back as the vines tensed, one of them breaking with a snap; and Cas screamed as he felt how the sudden tug almost cracked the bones on his legs. But it made the plant stop tugging so much for a second, which made Dean trip forward against the centipede. Suddenly not needing half of his strength to keep them in place, he planted his feet and pushed his sword forward- the Impala broke through the thing´s upper end with a satisfying crunching sound.</p><p>  As the dead enemy fell to the ground, the hunter whirled his head to look at the plant creature. He snapped back to see the remaining centipedes closing in, and Cas saw him take a calculated risk.</p><p>  He let his sword fall to the ground.</p><p>  His hand flew inside his bag and quickly rummaged.</p><p>  He grabbed a round object the size of an apple, took it to his mouth; teeth ripping at a little strand dangling from it in a loop.</p><p>  And as another monster jumped towards him, his other arm never letting go of Cas, the hunter threw the object towards the plant; just in time to interpose his right limb between the incoming creature and him.</p><p>  The immediate explosion roared in the clearing, throwing a punch of hot air and acrid smell that shook Castiel´s hair and clothes. He fell to the ground, Dean beside him, as the plant screeched in obvious pain. The mage looked back at it, seeing it partially covered in flames, the flowerheads opened wide to the sky, the vines squirming- having let go of him.</p><p>“Aarggh!”, he heard a grunt near his face.</p><p>  Dean was on the floor beside him, teeth gritting in pain, lying on his back. A centipede had gotten on top of him, its mandibles biting into his right arm. He punched it once, twice with his left as he grunted, the chitinous cover resisting the hits.</p><p>“Go away!!”, Cas shouted as he extended both arms.</p><p>  The creature took the lateral pulse and rolled over the ferns from Dean, who let out a pained sound as the drag of the mandibles leaving his arm tore it up partially.</p><p>“You okay?”, Cas panted, horrified at the sight of the hunter´s blood.</p><p>  And as he said that his hand had already grabbed his wrist- the wound close instantly, following the rhythm of his terrified heart.</p><p>“Get up, get up!!”, Dean ordered, swirling over his left arm without wasting a second.</p><p>  The hunter already had a hand under Castiel´s arm to lift him up before the mage had completely gotten to his feet. Dean dragged him with him, keeping him up when he tripped with a root that got under his heel, taking him away from the plant. The warrior hunkered sharply to take his sword from the ground and immediately whirled to look all around them.</p><p>“Thanks… Where… where are they?”, he panted.</p><p>  Cas looked back over his shoulder. The remaining centipedes were gone. Weren´t there still two or three out there?</p><p>  He startled when his foot stepped on something hard, and as he looked down he saw the ripped ferns he had held onto. His angel blade lied there. He took it quickly, immediately getting vertical again, looking all around. The plant creature seemed to have extinguished the flames somehow, or maybe they hadn’t caught into its moist tissues, and its vines flowed again in his direction.</p><p>“Back, back, back”, he said as he kept backpedaling.</p><p>  But suddenly Dean stopped, and his back bumped into his.</p><p>“What?”, the mage asked, turning his head towards him.</p><p>  Dean´s green eyes were wide, locked upon something in front of him, dismay and alarm slacking his face for a second.</p><p>  At the same time, sounds of crushing finally registered on Castiel´s mind.</p><p>  And he widened his mouth in horror upon seeing the two endregas running towards them.</p><p>  The creatures moved flawlessly on the wild terrain, legs clack-clack-clacking as they quickly devoured the distance that separated them from the menaces to their territory, plants breaking under their charge. The screams and the sound of the bomb must have alerted them. Low rumbles surged from them, growing as they approached.</p><p>  Dean took one second to look back at the stretching plant behind them.</p><p>  Whirled again to the two new threats.</p><p>  And he shot Cas an authoritarian and merciless look.</p><p>“<em>Run</em>”</p><p>  The mage´s eyes widened as he felt how the blood left his face.</p><p>“Run!!!”, Dean shouted when he didn´t immediately react; his face a mask of fury, his arm shooting to point in the direction they had come from; making the mage start.</p><p>  And Castiel ran.</p><p> </p><p>  Cas fled, heartbeat a furious drum on his chest, blood rushing in his ears, as the electric shock of fear tingled down his limbs. The last thing he had seen had been Dean charging towards the two enormous creatures, that right now rumbled in unnatural angry growls at his back. He tripped once, and twice, on the irregular forest floor; but both times he regained his footing in a flail of limbs and shaken plants. He´d only been this scared when the Darkness had chased after him as a teen, and his mind unkindly reminded him of it, making the nose on his stomach tighten even more.</p><p>  But he heard a grunt of pain, and he froze. He looked back. </p><p>  He could see Dean from there. God, he looked tiny in comparison to the monsters. The hunter had his black sword held in both hands, and he was sidestepping with his teeth gritted.</p><p>“Come on!!”, he bellowed.</p><p>  One of the endregas roared and charged towards him. The hunter jumped to one side and rolled on the ground to get away from its path, letting it pass him; and he immediately jumped back on his feet to lounge forward and deliver a vertical attack at his flank. However, when he was tensing his shoulders to deliver a second blow, his head snapped to his right and he jumped back suddenly, balance wavering. The other endrega had also run towards him, and as Dean backpedaled it turned to attack him with his sharp frontal legs in rapid succession. The hunter was able to dodge the first attack, deflect the second one with a swipe of his sword, always sidestepping; and by the time the third thrust came, the first endrega had already maneuvered to turn its body towards Dean.</p><p>  It tried to attack him from the other side, but Dean sprinted around the one on his left. He ran right in front of its face for it. He interposed his steel to stop mandibles that shot towards him, but he grunted in pain as he kept running and his steps faltered just a bit, his left hand clutching his waist. One of the frontal legs must have cut his side, though Cas couldn’t see any blood from there.</p><p>  The hunter glared at the creatures, taking his sword again. He had put one of the endregas between him and the other, preventing them from attacking him at the same time; and without wasting a second he jumped forward. The closest endrega, still turned, received the blow on its side, making it emit its characteristic rumbling roar. Dean´s next blow, parallel to the ground, severed one of its legs.</p><p>  But the other monster had not stopped moving. It had immediately run around its partner- and it now charged against Dean, against the other creature.</p><p>“Dean!!”, Cas shouted despite himself.</p><p>  The hit of shell against shell clanked in the forest, the wounded one bellowed in protest. Castiel observed in horror, lips parted, face slack, heart thumping furiously.</p><p>  That is- until he saw Dean crawling. The hunter dragged himself on the ground beneath the creature´s legs, surfacing on its other side, sword still in hand. He quickly got to his feet and wavered a bit as he planted them, a pained expression on his dirty face as he faced his enemies again.</p><p>  The mage felt the air abandon him upon seeing him alright, relief a punch to his gut; but his calm lasted all but a second. Stuck in place, he saw Dean take a breath, grip his sword with both hands and start prowling the monsters again. From this angle he could see his bleeding flank. He looked tired.</p><p>  A very different kind of fear was grasping at Castiel´s heart in that moment. The hunter was facing impossible odds, or incredibly difficult ones at least. What if he didn’t make it? His breathing hitched upon thinking of him, chest pierced from side to side by one of those legs. His body, lying dead on the forest floor. <em>No</em>, screamed everything inside him. No, it couldn’t be. He had to do something. Anything… </p><p>  Dean´s sword stopped an attack, furiously deflected another one, and a strong slash delivered with a roar severed one of those frontal legs. He immediately jumped back, rolling through the ground, ready for the second endrega. He had to attack and roll, never stop running, never stop watching both creatures at once. He dodged another attack, sprinted to get behind the second creature and delivered an attack to its rear. The creature´s tail slashed, lighting fast, and hit Dean in the stomach; the hunter took several steps back, a hand to his middle, doubling over. The protections on his chest seemed to have stopped the spikes, but the blunt impact landed anyway. Both endregas turned towards him during the second he took to look up at them through a pained expression, panting.</p><p>  And then Cas saw how Dean suddenly fell violently forward to the ground.</p><p>  The hunter looked towards his feet and struggled as it was dragged away from the endregas, and it took Castiel a moment to remember that there was a hungry plant creature in that clearing too. In his maneuvering, maybe Dean had gotten inside its reach again.</p><p>  Dean´s hand flew to the ground to land into only plants, and his eyes snapped up, widened in alarm.</p><p>  He had lost his sword in the impact, Impala landing on the forest floor; but since he was being dragged away, it was now out of his reach.</p><p>  He looked up, unarmed, to the two endregas.</p><p>  And Castiel started to run back.</p><p>  It was stupid, a voice in his head told him. He was untrained, and he was a fool to think he could make a difference… but he was as able to leave Dean behind to get himself to safety as he was of breathing underwater.</p><p>  In front of the mage´s horrified eyes, the endregas charged towards the restrained hunter; who with his legs trapped rolled away from their crushing path. As soon as they passed him, he sat up to take a knife from his boot, and he started grabbing the vines that held his legs together and hacking on them, frantic eyes snapping up quickly to evaluate the return of the creatures. The endregas slowed down on their charge and turned again towards him. Dean gritted his teeth, determined, ripping at the vines with a slight air of angered rush.</p><p>  But one of the creatures suddenly turned his attention from him.</p><p>“Hey!!!”</p><p>  The endrega, having received Castiel´s thrown rock, located him through his shout. Cas gulped at the enormous thing, his heart bumping painfully on his chest, but frowned in anger before throwing the second rock he had found.</p><p>“Here, you beast!!”, he taunted.</p><p>  He really didn’t have that many tricks up his sleeve, so… he raised a hand and produced a little ball of glistening white light. Why not. He´d try everything he could think of. The endrega tilted its head to one side.</p><p>“Cas!!”, he heard Dean exclaim.</p><p>“Get that one!”, he projected his voice without daring to take his eyes from the creature, in case it suddenly charged towards him, “I´ll… distract this one until you can take care of him!”</p><p>  Dean started to protest, but it was lost under a rumbling bellow. Had it been the rocks, the shouting, the light, or the simple presence of an intruder in the thing´s territory, Cas would never know; but he succeeded: the endrega started running after him.</p><p>  His instincts made him start running before being aware he had given the order, back in the direction they had come from initially. The light was long gone. <em>Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh, God!</em> The crushing of leaves got closer, and closer, thundering clacking legs at his back; and when he looked over his shoulder he immediately jumped to one side with a yelp.</p><p>  The charging creature passed him as he faceplanted against the ferns. He had learned how to roll at one point in his training, but he had no idea how to do it in a ground full of plants, and anyway he was so nervous he didn’t remember the motions. He got to his feet, completely out of breath, limbs burning; but tried to gulp on his dry throat and started running back towards Dean again.</p><p>  He saw how the hunter was throwing something towards the creature that approached him, another bomb?, and a cloud of smoke surrounded the monster. For a second Cas couldn’t see around the creature and Dean, but a moment later the hunter ran out of the smoke cloud. He had used the distraction to cut himself free. He took the Impala from the ground in time to turn and see his enemy emerge from the already dissipating cloud of smoke, shaking its head.</p><p>  Good! Dean was already free! But a bellow and again the clacking of legs sounded behind him, and Castiel´s feeling of victory evaporated. He was tiring, <em>fast</em>; he wouldn’t be running if he didn’t know his life was at stake. He looked back, saw the endrega still after him; and as he did he almost tripped on the plants but regained his footing in a flail of limbs. He winced in pain, his lungs burning despite the magic he sent them. He was getting really tired from using magic too. He didn’t know how long he could last.</p><p>  He couldn´t keep this up forever. He had no idea how long it could take Dean to end the other monster, he couldn’t wait. But what could he do? He wouldn’t even know how to attack the creature with so many legs in the way, and besides, would his angel blade even pierce that shell? He thought of his magic. His specialty, healing, was utterly worthless in the situation. Light would not blind it, and he didn´t expect to be able to push such a heavy creature. Even if he could, it would solve nothing…</p><p>  He suddenly saw a vine rise in front of him, and he instinctively screamed as he pushed his hands forward; a pulse of force brushed the vine away. He remembered the plant in a panic. Wasn’t it bad enough to fight the endregas but also…?</p><p>  An idea latched onto his mind, and his steps slowed, face slack, mind racing.</p><p>“Cas, move!!”</p><p>  His head snapped upon Dean´s warning and he lounged to one side, the endrega missing him and bellowing his rage. He scrambled up to his feet and looked around. The plant was up ahead, the endrega was slowing down his charge on his right. Close behind him, Dean still roared and hacked, but the other endrega was far from finished.</p><p>  He looked down at his hands. They were shaking. He was exhausted. Could he do this?</p><p>  The second monster clack-clacked in place to turn towards him, trembling in rage.  </p><p>  He had to.</p><p>  He tightened his jaw, balled his hands into fists, and started running towards the plant. His sprint triggered the endrega to the chase.</p><p>“Cas, not that way! Cas!!!”, he heard behind him.</p><p>  But the mage didn´t listen, and with a determined frown, he opened his arms in a wide sphere before pushing forward.</p><p>  The ferns shook, and the vines that hid beneath them recoiled.</p><p>  Cas kept running, the endrega behind him. He pushed again, vines parting from his way, and he kept eating the terrain that separated him from the carnivorous plant creature.</p><p>  His mind was racing furiously, calculating. How much magic he had in him, how many bursts of force he could still make. Magic translated into force, the direction of that force, weight, resulting trajectory, final parable. That high? Higher. Better to be safe, he concluded- while a voice in his head screamed at him that <em>there was absolutely nothing safe about this</em>.</p><p>  With the endrega on his heels, bellowing; Castiel parted with a last burst of force the twisting vines that rose in front of the bushes that made the body of the plant creature, the acid flowers he had wanted so much to get away from in front of him.</p><p>  And the mage winced, praying hard that something he had <em>never</em> done before worked. He took his arms up, hands clawed. While he raced, he took as much magic as he could from the world around him; and he then thrust his balled fists to the ground beneath him.</p><p>  And jumped.</p><p>  There was a booming explosion of force around him that made the vegetation shake violently, the plant reel back, the endrega slow down due to a sudden resistance; and then Cas was flailing on air.</p><p>  Over the plant creature.</p><p>  As he soared, he was dimly aware of clashing sound, a bellow, a screech, and somehow saw vines diving down and around blue-brown shell; and he momentarily dared to believe he had made it.</p><p>  But then something suddenly tugged on his ankle and he fastly clashed down.</p><p>  The impact made stars shine behind his eyes, and for a moment there was only pain. A very distant part of his mind was aware of a broken nose and blood leaving him, and his healing magic immediately worked to dissipate his dizziness, to make him able to open his eyes again.</p><p>  He was panting uncontrollably on the ground, his nose screaming at him in agony, his ankle being tugged at. He looked down and suddenly understood the slow drag of earth and vegetation beneath him. He yelped and sat up to grab the vine and slash it with his angel blade.</p><p>  He stared at the blade for a second, puzzled. He… Had he kept his angel blade on his hand the whole time?</p><p>
  <em>  Don’t get distracted. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>  Don’t stay on the ground. </em>
</p><p>  Still half-aware, the pain and exhaustion making him slow, he got clumsily to his feet.</p><p><em>  Heal, heal, fast</em>, he thought, remembering his ankle, and the wolves, and that time was precious, and that so much could happen in a second in a fight…</p><p>  He made a relieved sound as his nose immediately healed, and he started walking backwards, blade held up, looking at the mess he´d made.</p><p>  The endrega bellowed in rage as it pierced bushes and big flowers with its front legs, making the other creature screech. It strongly moved its head to one side, ripping vines. Cas was behind the plant, so he didn’t know exactly what happened then; but he saw wisps of steam rise as the endrega started grumbling more sternly, more in pain than in rage now… and he shuddered upon remembering the acid on those flowers…</p><p>  Something touched his shoulder, his own name not registering on his ears, and he slashed as he screamed and whirled.</p><p>“Wow, wow!”</p><p>  Dean jumped back as he threw his hands up, the Impala still on his right. Panting, trembling, Cas needed a second to recognize him, and for his mind to catalog him as <em>not a threat</em>.</p><p>“D-Dean…”, he panted, lowering his blade.</p><p>“Are you okay?”, the hunter asked, eyes widened in worried astonishment, shifting from him to the fighting creatures.</p><p>“Y-yeah…”</p><p>  As Cas put his hands on his knees, getting his breath back, Dean looked at the monsters. The endrega rumbled, legs still moving, its rage giving it even more strength, vines ripping everywhere. The hunter slowly raised his eyebrows, face relaxing into the beginnings of an… unbelieving smile.</p><p>  Then he closed his eyes and laughed up to the sky, somehow making it a whole-body movement, hand palming his thigh.</p><p>“<em>Dude</em>!!”, he beamed at Castiel with the biggest smile the mage had ever seen in him, “That was <em>awesome</em>!!”</p><p>“R… Really…?”, the noble panted, looking up at him.</p><p>“Yeah!! How the Hell did you <em>do that</em>?!”</p><p>“I…”, Cas babbled, “I-I remembered that my instructor says that… if you have one enemy, you have one problem; but if you have two… you can have two solutions. And then I thought of my brother Samandriel, w-who says that if you don´t have… many tools, you…”, he blinked his eyes, his weight wavering, “… you have to know how to… be versatile… in using them…”</p><p>“Dude, dude, dude”, the hunter quickly said worried putting a hand on his shoulder, “You okay?”</p><p>“I´m… I´m dizzy, I…”, he gulped with his eyes closed, “I-I used too much magic all at… once”</p><p>“Okay, okay, come on”, Dean palmed his arm and passed an arm over his shoulders to help him stand, “Let´s get out of here, and get some rest”</p><p>“That… that sounds nice”, he groaned with a weak smile.</p><p>  Castiel, with his head on Dean´s shoulder, saw him look down towards him and smile proudly.</p><p>“As I see it, man”, he declared with a little chuckle, his green eyes sparkling, “you fucking earned it”</p><p>    </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Aaaaaaaaaaaaah. I wanted so bad for them to go to the forest- but I had NOT ANTICIPATED AT ALL how INCREDIBLY FUN it would be to write this!!! I am so happy, folks. My longest chapter ever written, and *so worth it*. I think this is the coolest chapter I have ever written- and Im very proud of chapters 1 and 2 of Dreams of Perdition, but *dang* this had my heart thumping on my chest- and I already knew what was gonna happen! Writing to The Witcher soundtrack I guess helps xD</p><p>Yes, I put that here instead of at the beginning notes so it took you guys by surprise xD I did not want my squeeing to create expectations and ruin the smooth transition of the chapter from "look at the trees... the forest is beautiful... so many details..." to "RUN FOR YO LIIIIVES!!" xD</p><p>How about that?? I love that Cas is like, powerful but *irremediably new* and that he´s sometimes awesome (usually accidentally or instinctively or on a limited flash of inspiration) and he sometimes just SUCKS xD He has a lot of potential, but needs so much experience yet. I am creating so many hooks to pull from later as character development kicks in *claps in glee*. </p><p>I love adding images to the fic, but I´m usually conflicted about if I have the right? Specially with fanart- those I won´t share unless I know I have explicit permission from the author (and artistically that sucks cause I have so many images that served as inspiration and would help with visualization, but my conscience wont let me). I actually had someone drawing the characters for me at the beginning of all of this, but they went MIA and since Im not sure I still have their permission, those images are gone now (their pretty clooothes :( But you gotta do things right!). But since I´m not as conflicted when using images from game guides, they only have screenshots of the game itself, using their monsters has an added advantage aside from "how do I create a monster now" xD</p><p>I think next chapter will be calmer, but then, I did think that the "they go to the forest" part would be only one chapter and its obviously becoming *at least* three xD I love when the story and the characters surprise me. Im stuck in a worldbuilding phase for Dreams of Perdition, so I guess I will update this one sooner than the other! Comment with a "yes"if you guys liked the action-packed chapter? ^^</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Four or five days</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After facing several monsters, Dean and Cas continue their journey through the Doomed Forest of Wyvernon, searching for signs of Sam´s presence.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey yall!! I'm pretty happy to post ^^ I'm going to start a new chapter of my writing experience: I'm going unbetaed!! My lovely beta (Pax I love youuuuu) is very busy rn, but she has helped me so much and made me learn so damned much, that I feel confident enough to, for some time at least, post solo :) We die like men, says the usual tag? xD It's gonna be a test for me, since usually her blessing is the cure for my insecurities- but it will be good for me to develop my own criteria and to be confident of that what I write is good even without anyone else's confirmation :) (Though comments are always welcome xD)</p><p>This is a slower chapter than the previous ones, basically a nexus between those and the next one, but I'm fond of it ^^. Dean and Cas' relationship has to grow slowly, and we have chances here for it, to see their differences but also what they have in common. Also- I'm a big fan of writers that drop little details from the very beginning that come back to show you *they seemed unimportant but weren't* like, 20 chapters after xD So longfics need chapters like this one! ;) </p><p>Hope you like it!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Castiel’s head was drifting. With his eyes closed, he could feel it spin slowly, as if he were lightheaded from having a little bit too much ambrosia. It could have been a nice sensation, if it were not interrupted at intervals by growing feelings of tension on his head, iron fingers that gripped it at the sides and top and squished till they made him grunt in discomfort, only to then relent after a second or two. He sighed. After several cycles, the pressure was lessening, and every time the bursts of pain took longer to arrive.</p><p>“You still here?”, he heard.</p><p>“Yeah…”, he murmured.</p><p>“Alright. Take your time”</p><p>  If he had had to run for his life, Cas would have been able to endure the pain. But he didn’t, not right now. And he was so tired. So he stayed on his back a little bit more, wincing when the pressure built up again.</p><p>“When you feel like you can sit up, we can have some lunch”</p><p>  Food. His stomach clapped giddily at that idea. Far away, across the fog of dizziness, he felt hungry.</p><p>  The mage opened his heavy eyes. Above, the treetops let small gaps through which the blue sky could be seen, and light poured down through. Over his head, fern leaves shook slightly with the calm breeze, the light shining through them giving them an eerie glow; the little patches of spores on their underside the only non-translucent part of them. Birds chirped around, unseen between the tree branches.</p><p>  He turned his head to look at Dean. The hunter was looking right back, and he bobbed his head up to him with a small smile. He was sitting with his legs crossed, and he had the map extended on his lap.</p><p>“Hey”, Dean said, a small smile still on his face, “How are you feeling?”</p><p>“Better”, he answered as he started to sit back up.</p><p>  The hunter immediately extended a hand to help him, which he took gingerly as the world slowly turned vertical again, swaying a bit on the edges.</p><p>“Thank you”, he murmured, looking down, “I’m very sorry for the delay”</p><p>“T’s okay, man”, Dean said as he shook the map to straighten it before he started folding it, “You did a hell of a show- you can have a damned break. But you gotta get yourself that tattoo we talked about”, he added in a slightly sterner tone.</p><p>  Castiel started to nod several times, but closed his eyes as the world shook around him, the pressure building again. However, instead of miserable he mostly felt grateful for not having reached the state he got himself to in his first wolf encounter. This time he hadn’t come directly from exhausting himself on the High Academy of Magic, he had rested the night before… And he was also aware that him being less surprised and afraid, more in control, had made him use his magic in a more precise way. The finer the spell casting, the less Corruption the caster got.</p><p>“Yes”, he opted to say before opening his eyes again and blinking them open, pressure fading.</p><p>  They were sitting at the base of a tree, its trunk to Dean’s back. Away from the clearing covered by the sea of ferns, again in one of the areas with firs and oaks; there were spots of grass and weeds where sitting was easier and more comfortable than among the gigantic unfurl leaves. The ferns grew on patches there, to Cas’s relief- it was way easier to see if something was approaching on the ground.</p><p>“Can I have a look?”, the hunter asked.</p><p>  Cas looked at him lost for a second. Dean raised his eyebrows as he pointed to his partially exposed chest. The noble immediately froze as a light blush got to his cheeks, and he looked away.</p><p>“Man, if…”, Dean started saying after a moment of silence.</p><p>“It’s alright”, Castiel interrupted in a crisp, small tone as he frowned shyly.</p><p>  <em>Flexible</em>, he thought.</p><p>  He gulped; reminding himself that this was nothing sexual, that Dean had promised not to ogle, and that he was not as indecent as he felt he was... He closed his eyes and grabbed the end of his shirt to… pull to one side, showing his pectoral, and the skin beneath which his heart pounded furiously in embarrassment.</p><p>  He opened his eyes to cast a look too. Black patches had appeared, marring his pale skin. Two or three had grown and elongated a few inches into undulated tendrils, one extending towards the center of his chest, the rest trying to climb up towards his neck- but still very far from achieving it.</p><p>  His nipple was still hidden. He internally thanked God and The Lord- that would have <em>definitively </em>been too much.</p><p>“Hmm”, Dean grunted in what Cas really hoped was a clinical examination of the dark marks, and not a slightly condescending appreciation of his not so muscular physique, “Doesn’t look too bad. I get a bit more than that from a potion. You should be fine for now. Possibly can take several doses like that”</p><p>“I can”, he murmured as he allowed the cloth to cover him again, eyes still cast down.</p><p>  He considered for a moment asking magically his blood to leave his face, fearing his raging blush would be more of a cause of mockery for Dean than his exposed skin- but he was so magically tired that he couldn’t help but close his eyes and sigh in defeat at the thought. He felt he would not be able to do any magic at all in a while, and he doubted he could perform any important magical feats for the rest of the day.</p><p>“Thank you”</p><p>  His gaze shot up in surprise. Dean was smiling a bit towards him. Was that his way of acknowledging that that action had been difficult for him?</p><p>“Food?”, he asked then, not letting the moment stretch.</p><p>  Castiel blinked before realizing that he had been the one to carry the rations in his bag.</p><p>“Yes, definitely”</p><p>  The hunter’s smile widened as the noble turned to his bag and started rummaging on it. He took out two small bags made of tied pieces of cotton cloth and extended one towards Dean.</p><p>  The slight grunt of discomfort the hunter made as he bent forward to take it called to the mage’s attention. Mind clearer now, he raked his eyes over him- and immediately a wave of alarm ran over his chest. </p><p>“You’re hurt”, he said in a frown, and almost unconsciously extended a hand towards him.</p><p>“Ah-ah”, Dean said in a negative as he grabbed his wrist to stop him, “Are you really in a condition to heal me right now?”</p><p>  Castiel frowned in frustration and worry. His eyes flicked between the abrasions on his arms, to the slash on his side. He held one of his shoulders a bit stiffly- maybe the clash between the two monsters had hurt one of his joints.</p><p>“Eat”, said Dean calmly, forcing his hand down, “They’ll probably close up on their own. It’s all almost stopped bleeding already”</p><p>“Do I really have to remind you of the dangers of a wound being infected or poisoned?”, said Castiel, a note of frustration in his voice.</p><p>“Do I have to warn you about the <em>useless bundle</em> you’ll become if you get more Corrupted? I’m not dragging you unconscious through the forest, pal”</p><p>  Castiel pressed his lips, jaw tight, an almost unbearable frustration building up. Dean frowned at his expression and his hands balled into fists.</p><p>“What’s the big deal? I merely have bruises, and the slash on the side’s just a cut. It bleeds a bit and annoys me if I bend. Small business”</p><p>  Dean seemed outrageously okay with his body being torn and bleeding, and kept looking at him as if he had lost his mind for wanting to restore it to an adequate state. Castiel looked down, trying to settle. If he didn’t want to, that was it. He respected his patients’ wishes. It was also true that… right now, doing more magic would certainly wear him down enormously. But he couldn’t stop frowning, a yearning on his heart unable to be unheard.</p><p>“I’m… not comfortable with you being hurt”, he managed to say at the end, “Or, or anyone. Not when all it takes is a touch from my hand for the pain to go away”</p><p>  Dean looked at him wrinkling his nose, as if he found that incredibly strange.</p><p>“You go around healing everyone’s boo-boos all the time?”, the hunter asked, as if that notion was preposterous.</p><p>“<em>Yes</em>”, he answered in a hiss, “I take care of every wound or illness any of my brothers get and can’t take care of for themselves, and also all of our staff”</p><p>  The hunter kept frowning, but it looked like he was starting to understand.</p><p>“Cause you’re a healer”, he said pensively, and he gestured to his own chest, “Like, deep down. You care”</p><p>“I can feel someone’s pain when I touch them, and <em>I can help</em>”, he answered squarely, “How could I not?”</p><p>  One of the corners of Dean’s mouth quirked up slightly.</p><p>“That why you go around saving hunters in dangerous forests?”</p><p>  Castiel’s lips parted a bit as he looked at Dean, and although he had never stopped to look for a reason why he had helped the hunter- it had been, simply, what was right- he somehow felt caught. He pressed his lips as a small blush rose again on his cheeks.</p><p>“Maybe”, he answered sassily, head held high as if to keep his dignity about it.</p><p>  But Dean didn’t mock him. He stared at him for a moment longer, a small knowing smile on his lips, before huffing out what seemed like a light laugh and looking down. He took the waterskin out of his bag and a little cloth, put some water on it and started to wipe his hands with it.</p><p>“Don’t worry about me, Cas. I’m fine, promise. I ain’t helping nobody by bleeding out. If I need help, I’ll tell ya”, he said in a low murmur without looking at him, “Rest and eat. You’ll patch me up when you feel better”</p><p>  The hunter passed him the cloth without looking up. There had been a softness in his tone that Cas hadn’t heard before. He took it and smiled too, a warm feeling on his chest. For a second he felt that Dean was starting to like him a bit more.</p><p>  He took a deep breath. He knew the hunter was pragmatic, and his words made sense: he would not refuse to ask for help if he really needed it, that would only slow them down. Besides, as soon as he felt a bit recuperated, he would heal him.</p><p>  Reassured, he tried to forget about his patient’s wounds for the time being and he looked down at the cloth. It was damp and he saw some bubbles on it, as well as patches of different colors- endraga’s blood, centipede and lignarium ichor, dirt… He suddenly realized that those substances could be toxic, especially the centipede’s ichor, and could have hurt Dean if he had decided to use his hands for eating without cleaning them before. Or him.</p><p>  He looked up at the hunter, who was opening his bag; wondering if it had happened to him at any moment, if he had gotten sick that way in the past. If he was used to hunting alone, as it seemed, he could not use anyone’s help pouring some water for him to wash his hands, so he put a bit on a cloth and used it to clean himself. Apparently, some soap too. Now that he thought about it, that had been what Dean had been doing when he found him in his room, cleaning himself with a damp cloth, nak…</p><p>  Regaining the reigns on his thoughts, he cleared his throat as he quickly rubbed his hands with the cloth, getting the dirt out of them while he annotated the damp cloth technique for washing hands in his <em>functioning in the wilderness</em> mental list. Then he focused on how ravenous he felt, and left the cloth on one side to open his little bag.</p><p>  The noble spread the cloth on the ground with its contents: a round loaf of bread the size of his spread hand, a ration of meat nestled in a cocoon of lettuce leaves and garnished with a spiced sauce, an apple, three ginger sweets with powdered sugar on top surrounded by a tied little piece of pretty gauze so the sugar would not mix with the rest of the provisions. It all came with a little set of cutlery, built in wood, that seemed to have been done in a smaller size for easy transport for outdoor meals.</p><p>  Dean made an appreciative sound as he looked at his own meal, and immediately took the apple into one pocket, the little packet of sweets into another, and took out a dented knife with which he started to cut the rounded loaf of breath through the horizontal. As Cas immediately dove towards the sweets, feeling the need of his body for sugar almost as clearly as a tactile sensation, the hunter divided the bread into two parts and started to take the slices of meat and vegetables on top of one of them.</p><p>  Castiel tilted curiously his head to the side as he observed. The hunter put the other part of the bread on top of all the ingredients he had rearranged and he then grabbed it with both his hands and took it to his mouth.  </p><p>“Mmmm…! Howy cwap”, he said through a mouthful, eyes widening, before munching and swallowing, “What the hell is this?”</p><p>“Pheasant”, Castiel answered distracted, squinting at Dean, “With a sauce of berries and cinnamon, I believe. Our cook makes it often”</p><p>“Myyy God. It’s fucking fantastic”, he appreciated right before diving in again.</p><p>  Castiel kept staring at him as he took the cutlery, puzzled. Dean’s hands appeared to apply pressure on the vertical, so the two pieces of bread held all the contents together without them falling out.</p><p>“Thoughts?”, grunted Dean defensively looking back at him, again with his mouth full; as if he didn’t realize how rude that was, or as if he simply didn’t care.</p><p>“Why… are you eating it like that?”, Cas asked curiously.</p><p>“Fahter”, he answered before gulping down, “Also if a monster comes to eat my ass I won’t have to stop to pick it all up or leave it behind, I can take it with me”</p><p>  Castiel made a pensive sound. That made sense. He looked down at how he had displayed things, as if on a table. Unlike him, Dean was really ready to run if he had to. With a thinking frown, he set the travel cutlery down and extended his hand to ask for Dean’s knife. The peasant looked amusedly at him before passing it, and observed him as he cut the bread in the same way he had.</p><p>  When he took the first bite, Castiel got only bread, and it was certainly disappointing. But on the third or so, he got some meat, and vegetables, and the sauce… He blinked in surprise.</p><p>“It’s good”, he said, looking up at the hunter, “It’s… The flavors, they… They mix. It works”</p><p>“‘Course it works…”, scoffed Dean as he shook his head; but then he suddenly frowned, “Dude. Have you <em>never </em>had a sandwich before?”</p><p>“Uhm…”, he tried to think, “I have had food that was placed on top of bread before, but not <em>surrounded</em> by it. And it was softer bread. Also, food that’s eaten with one’s hands, it’s supposed to be eaten in one bite. For decorum”, he looked back at the… <em>sandwich</em> on his hands, “This… has my saliva on it. The marks of my teeth. There’s sauce dripping on my hand. Is so… crude”, he said, more puzzled than drawn back.</p><p>“But it’s <em>good</em>”, Dean smiled eagerly at him, tilting a bit forward, “ain’t it?”</p><p>“It is”, he answered as he nodded, “The flavor combination is very nice, and also the mix of textures. The bread is crunchy, but the ingredients inside are juicy”</p><p>“That’s what I’m talking about”, Dean chuckled as he sat back against the trunk.</p><p>“And it’s certainly practical, if we have to move”, the mage added looking around. </p><p>  And just then, he realized something.</p><p>“Dammit”, he murmured.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I… forgot about checking our surroundings”, he frowned.</p><p>  Dean chuckled.</p><p>“I saw. But thought I’d cut you some slack”</p><p>“Don’t”, asked Cas, looking at him with a slight frown, “Thank you, but… I want to learn as much as I can”</p><p>“I know, I know. But I can watch for you as you eat and rest, I’m used to it. Use your pauses wisely, or you’ll tire yourself up quickly”</p><p>  The mage looked at him, and for a second he felt how tired his body was. He sighed and nodded, surrendering, and allowed himself to simply keep eating.</p><p>  He got lost in the repetitive motions for a little while, and a comfortable silence extended between them. They passed the waterskin back and forth, and ate. Dean started to alternate bites from his sandwich to his apple, his eyes alert around them. Cas finished his sandwich and cleaned his sauce-stained hands with the cloth, to immediately dive down to the rest of the sweets. He still felt pretty hungry when he got to his piece of fruit, then a slurping sound made him look up.</p><p>  He found Dean, having finished his sandwich, licking the palm of his hand- putting his index finger between his lips, his middle one, his thumb. Then he suddenly looked back at Cas and stopped, the pad still on his mouth for a second, before taking it away with a small smacking sound.</p><p>“What?”, he said with a forced deadpan, “Too crude for you?”, his expression turned into a smirk, “Or do you see something you like?”</p><p>  Cas realized just then that he had been staring, eyes wide, surprised at the sight. But when his raging blush crept up, he immediately kept it down with his magic, redirecting his blood to the rest of his body; and he tilted serenely his head up.</p><p>“No”, he answered in that sassy tone that had worked before for him, “It just looks unsanitary”</p><p>  Dean’s eyebrows shot up right before he burst out with a laugh. Cas couldn’t help but smile a bit as he lowered his eyes and kept on eating.</p><p>  He felt a wave of satisfaction upon feeling his magic a bit recovered. Performing healing magic on his own body was the easiest magical feat he could ever perform, way less costing than healing someone else. It had been a part of his nature for as long as he could remember, and sometimes he felt his body did it on its own accord. That he had just had the instinct and capability of reducing his blushing was a good sign.</p><p>“Hey”, the hunter called his attention then, “Do you know how to place yourself on a map?”</p><p>  He looked up and shook his head.</p><p>“Okay”, Dean said as if that settled something.</p><p>  And to his surprise, he extended the map between them.</p><p>“Alright. This is where we popped up”, Dean pointed to a spot marked in charcoal, Cas remembered having done that marking in his room, “And this is where the nest is”, he pointed at a cross made in red ink to the northeast of that.</p><p>  Dean looked up at the treetop-covered sky.</p><p>“If you can, try to orient yourself where you can actually see things around you. It’s very easy to get lost inside a forest, you lose perspective. When we were higher and the trees were scattered, I located this peak nearby”, his finger touched a mountain with a symbol of a fortification drawn in it.</p><p>“That’s where the High Academy of Magic is”, Cas commented.</p><p>“Is it?”, the hunter looked up at him, “I thought it was another fortress”</p><p>“Well, yeah, the building itself is a Spire”, the noble admitted, “But since the noble family it was built for was lost in the war, the facilities were transformed and used to set up a place for knowledge and training”</p><p>“Anyway”, Dean said without bothering on hiding his lack of interest on the subject, “I oriented us and made us walk north”, his finger moved upwards across the map, “Then we found the endragas and took a little detour”, his finger did a small curve to the left, “See this little clearing here?”</p><p>“Oh. Where the plant thing was”</p><p>“Exactly. When the clusterfuck ended, I made us walk north, even though I knew we had moved away from the original planned path to avoid the endragas…”</p><p>  Dean’s finger, moving upwards from the clearing, stopped.</p><p>“We’re here?”, Cas asked.</p><p>“Yes”</p><p>“So we have to…”</p><p>  Cas took his own finger to the map and drew a diagonal line towards the right, from their position to the rawhead’s nest.</p><p>“Mm-hm”, Dean made an affirmative sound.</p><p>“Which direction is that?”</p><p>  Dean pointed to a direction situated behind him and to one side.</p><p>“How do you know?”, asked the mage, tilting his head.</p><p>“I know where we came from, I remember the path we were taking. Also, midday has passed. You know the sun sets in the west, right?”</p><p>  The mage looked up and squinted as he looked at the treetops. There was a part where the light seemed to shine brighter, where the sun must be.</p><p>“Also, the moss on the trees grows on the northern part, right?”, he asked looking down at Dean.</p><p>  He snorted.</p><p>“You can’t trust that in a Doomed Forest. Everything in here grows like crazy. Even in normal forests, if the humidity is enough, they will end up surrounding the whole trunk”</p><p>“Oh”, Cas nodded, interested.</p><p>“Compasses will go bonkers too, in some parts of a Doomed Forest, can’t trust’em. I have one, but rarely use it unless we’re on the road…”</p><p>  Dean’s voice died down, his gaze getting lost for a second, as if he had remembered something. His small, relaxed smile slowly melted into a serious pensive expression. His eyes moved down with a slight frown before he turned his head to look longingly towards the forest, in the direction he had pointed they had to follow.  </p><p>“Dean?”</p><p>  When the hunter looked back at the mage, he seemed frustrated, angry even. His shoulders were tense, his jaw tight.</p><p>“Can you walk? We’ve wasted enough time”, he said crisply.</p><p>  The hardness of his voice didn’t seem to be aimed at him. Cas thought he could see anxiety on his features, guilt maybe.</p><p>  Oh. Yes, his brother was waiting. Hopefully…</p><p> “Yes”, he said quickly, giving a final bite to his apple.</p><p>  The hunter nodded sharply with his lips pressed and swiftly stowed the waterskin into his bag before getting to his feet.</p><p>  Cas hastily took the cloths that had contained his meal and used them to surround the heart of his apple before putting them inside his bag. He didn’t want to leave any obvious trails that a creature could use to follow them. Dean’s hand appeared in front of his face as he started to stand up, and he took it with a grateful little smile. Dean didn’t smile, his expression focused. After bringing him to his feet, the hunter quickly turned away to start walking.</p><p>“Wait”, Castiel said, trotting a bit to get to him.</p><p>  Dean turned to look at him questioningly. The mage stepped forward and put two fingers to his temple without a word.</p><p>  The hunter gasped with his eyes closed for a moment, then opened them as he took a step back, mouth wide and breathing slightly quickened. He blinked in surprise and took a hand to his side, where it found no wound- though his clothes were still marred with blood. He rolled his shoulder backwards and raised his eyebrows. The skin of his forearms was unmarred.</p><p>  When Dean looked back at him, Cas just gave him a small, kind smile. Dean had been right, they were very small wounds, that had barely taken energy out of him to fix.</p><p>“Let’s go find Sammy”, he said softly.</p><p>  The peasant looked at him for a moment before smiling a bit in what seemed like gratitude and nodding. Then he turned the heel and started walking in long strides, the noble following suit.      </p><p> </p><p>  The hunter imposed on them the quickest pace they could manage given the treacherous footing, and the whole time his eyes never stopped raking over the ground, the trunks, the bushes. Castiel reminded him soon that they had to reapply the repellent, and Dean put it on with no more complaint nor delay than a disgusted wrinkled nose. They quickly resumed their walking.</p><p>  As they advanced, the ground became more humid, sometimes squelching beneath their boots. It kept growing until they got to a stream, before which Dean stopped, raising an arm to halt Cas.</p><p>  The noble blinked and looked up at that. After resting he wasn’t feeling as bad as after the fight- but one thing was being able to stand, and another to walk for a long time through the forest. He could not remember a time he had exerted himself as much as he had that day, both physically (by running, walking on tough terrain, dodging charging endragas) and magically. He had tried, but after a little while he had stopped being able to pay attention to his surroundings, and he had simply followed Dean’s steps blindly. Startled out of his reverie by the pause, the exhaustion of his body crashed down on him suddenly.</p><p>  Dean inspected their surroundings for a long moment before hurrying Cas with a gesture of his arm to cross the stream. It didn’t reach their ankles, so they just walked through.</p><p>“We gotta take a detour”, Dean said as he veered to the right, a few steps from the course of water.</p><p>  The peasant had barely looked back at Cas to check if he followed in all this time, and they had exchanged no words for a long while. Dean still didn’t look at him, eyes examining the forest floor with almost a hungry expression.</p><p>“What? Why?”, Cas asked.</p><p>“Territorial markings”, the hunter said flatly as he pointed to the bark of a tree, “Salamanders. We’d better avoid them if we don’t want to waste time fighting”</p><p>  The noble followed Dean’s pointing with his gaze. He saw some claw marks on the lower part of the bark.</p><p>“We’ve been lucky they weren’t drinking in the stream”, the hunter murmured as he looked forward, never stopping.</p><p>  Castiel couldn’t help to let out a sigh, and even he was surprised to hear how dismayed it sounded. Another detour meant more time to get to the nest, more time walking.</p><p>  Dean turned a bit towards him and stopped. He seemed pissed initially, but upon laying eyes on him he frowned a bit, anger slowly dissolving.</p><p>“You good?”</p><p>  Cas took a short breath and straightened. He did not want to delay Dean.</p><p>“I’m tired. But I can keep going”</p><p>  Dean pressed his lips, looking at him up and down for a second. Then he looked back at the path they were supposed to follow, frustration seeping visibly off him. He looked torn for a second.</p><p>“Come on, let’s walk a little bit longer. This is no place to stop anyway, too close to the salamander hunting ground”</p><p>  Castiel nodded and kept going. The hunter started to dart looks back at him, and the noble started to feel embarrassed- but he could not for the life of him stop dragging his feet and hunching his shoulders forward. His arms felt as if they weighed tons.  </p><p>“Dean”, he said at one point, looking up in alarm as he stopped.</p><p>  A big black spider was climbing a tree upfront, its body the size of a melon, its legs spreading even wider. It was incredibly strange that Dean hadn’t noticed it, being right in front of them. The hunter, who stopped at his call, followed his look and snorted, shaking his head dismissively.</p><p>“Saw it. T’s okay. Juveniles won’t attack unless you literally kick the nest”</p><p>“That’s a juvenile?”, the noble asked in slightly horrified awe.</p><p>“It’s practically harmless, Cas. Throw something at them and they’ll run for the hills”</p><p>  The hunter leaned down to grab a rock from the ground and threw it: it hit the tree below the spider, which skittered away quickly towards the treetops.</p><p>“Come on”, the hunter said as he restarted advancing, “We still haven’t…”</p><p>  But the peasant suddenly froze in place, his whole body tensing as he sharply inhaled a gasp.</p><p>“Holy mother of…!!”, he exclaimed, voice raw, as he ran a few steps and kneeled on the floor, eyes downcast.</p><p>“What?”, Cas said in an alarmed tone, shaking his arm to get his angel blade in his hand.</p><p>“Check this out, Cas!”</p><p>  The noble blinked at the enthusiasm of the hunter’s voice as he observed Dean’s hand, touching the ground. The humid terrain had made a small step, and it was obviously very malleable. Some of the wet soil had crumbled and been squashed under the weight of…</p><p>“A boot?”, Cas said tentatively.  </p><p>“A motherfucking, <em>gigantic</em> bootprint!”, Dean declared in triumph, “Cas, this is Sam’s!”</p><p>  The mage looked at Dean with a gasp. The hunter was smiling from ear to ear, a sharp contrast to his previous humor.</p><p>“Are you sure?”, he doubted.</p><p>“Few have feet as big as his, and besides not many people can be roaming this forest…”, the hunter said as he got up again, his eyes raking the forest ground, before pointing sharply, “Yeah, look there! Another one! We fucking did it, Cas, we found his trail!”</p><p>  Castiel smiled widely despite his weariness. Dean seemed electrified with energy, expression hopeful and relieved, happier than Cas had seen him in the time he had known him.</p><p>“You know the best part?”, he said as he turned to the mage, “It cannot be older than four or five days!”</p><p>“That’s- that’s good?”</p><p>“Sammy left eight days ago, Cas!”, Dean said excitedly, “We’re only like, five days behind him. We have gained all the time I spent laying horizontal, and a bit more!”</p><p>“Using the map with the nests worked”, smiled Cas, hope finally soaking through him, Dean’s happiness contagious.</p><p>“Damn right it did”, the hunter smiled at him, and it reached his eyes softly for an instant.</p><p>  Dean frowned a bit then, looking at Cas. He looked back at the footprint, and then up at the sky, where the sun was still shining bright.</p><p>“Maybe we should call it a day”, he said as he turned back to the noble, “This is a good place to put the crystal thingy. No enemies close that I can see”</p><p>“What? But, we still have hours of daylight”, Cas protested with more doubt than disagreement.</p><p>“Yep”, Dean agreed crisply, then he gave him an amused smile, “But you look like crap”</p><p>  Cas blinked and looked down at himself. His clothes were dirty, his pants had gotten a small torn at some point. But he knew Dean was not talking about that. The exhaustion hit him like a hammer, the pain of his legs and back due to so many hours of walking impossible to ignore.</p><p>“Are you sure?”, he asked with, to his embarrassment, a weak voice, “I-I don’t want to cause any delays”</p><p>  The hunter snorted and walked two steps to get to him and clap his arm.</p><p>“Dude, I found the trail back thanks to you, and we gained three fucking days. We can take it easy. I don’t wanna burn you out on the first day”</p><p>  The weak protest inside Castiel died at that, and he closed his eyes as he sighed, his shoulders slouching, his head tilting up to the sky. Time to stop fighting forward. It was enough for one day.</p><p>  Dean’s hand, still on his shoulder, gripped a bit more on his shoulder and he opened them again.</p><p>“You got enough mojo to send us back?”, Dean said tilting his head with a kind expression, “Or do you need to get some rest first?”</p><p>“Oh, no; please, no; let’s just, go back already”, Cas said, closing his eyes for a second in relief.</p><p>“Alright”, Dean chuckled as he gave him another clap before letting go.</p><p>  Castiel put his angel blade back on its sheath and kneeled, while Dean turned to look at where apparently Sam’s trail was leading. The hope and happiness in his eyes were undeniable. Cas took the bluestone out of his bag and held it in his hands for a moment as he stilled his thoughts. He felt he was taking too long, but the hunter did not rush him. He finally took a deep breath.</p><p>“Rune of power, hear my call”, he murmured, and the lower part of the bluestone started shining dimly, “Let stone become one with stone, let earth take back what came from it. Bind them together, all as one, so that only magic can sever them apart. I call upon you, Rune of Binding. By my magic, make it be”</p><p>  The rune carved at the base of the crystal suddenly glowed intensely, its purpose known. At that, Cas raised his arm and crashed the stone into the ground.</p><p>  As it sunk, blue veins of power exploded in all directions on the ground, shining for a moment; while magic flowed from Castiel’s chest, to his arm, to his hand and through the crystal onto the earth. After only a moment, the veins dimmed out until they disappeared, and with a sigh the mage let go of the stone.</p><p>  He looked up at Dean, who was watching him with raised eyebrows, curiosity and slight awe on his expression. Cas gave him a tired smile and extended his hand to him.</p><p>  Dean smiled back before taking it, and they both disappeared from the forest.  </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>They are finally on track! ^^ Jeez, poor Dean, he's so stressed for Sammy xD</p><p>I'm really unsure of the title of this chapter, but I couldn't come up with anything better xD Let me know in the comments if you have any ideas! </p><p>I can't wait to post the new chapter, people. It's mostly done already. Finally so many things of what this world is made of will be revealed- and after that... comes the first chapter from Dean´s POV!! :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Heaven's War</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Heeeeeeeey :) Remember how I said this chapter was almost in the can and I would post early? Well, to be honest I did NOT expect to be needing to be taken to the hospital for five days, hahaha. I'm fine :) But that and studying have eaten my time A LOT. But here it is!!!!!!</p><p>Wow, guys. This conversation was the first thing I ever wrote of this fic, the whole worldbuilding is here. The chronology was SO HARD. I tried to adjust it to canon as much as possible, but some changes had to be made, I'll explain them in the end notes. It has ended SUPER LONG, I mean, in normal circumstances I would have cropped it into two chapters- but this couldnt be split. So.... double-length chapteeeeer!</p><p>Important tags for this chapter: mentions of child/family member death, plagues/diseases. I know they are up there but hell xD I didn't know when I was writing this- but when I reread it, I was like WOW- This was OBVIOUSLY me copying with the pandemic xD The intense part of this conversation was written in like... summer 2020. So yeah :) It's not depressive, but some parts could give some Covid-like feelings (like, its a medieval setting and a magical plague so its not the same, but its still a plague). Just wanted to warn you guys in case anyone has intense feelings about it, that it doesnt come as a suckerpunch :) </p><p>I am really happy to finally share this :) Today is a somber day, but at least I got this :) </p><p>I will probably post next chapter in June so... A petition? I got a very important exam on May 30th. Important enough that it could determine the rest of my life. I am not exaggerating at that, not even a bit. I do believe that people can attract good things? So if any of you remembers to think of me and wish me luck and send some good vibes, I'd be so grateful ^^ </p><p>TO THE CHAPTER!!!!!!! (This is my first unbeta'ed one so, forgive any weird stuff!)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Castiel woke up to the sound of flames crackling. Everything around him was warm, comfortable, clean, and wonderful- yet some pressing feeling nagged him and urged him to open his eyes.</p><p>  He blinked slowly a couple of times before the sound of passing pages registered on his mind. He rolled his head to his right.</p><p>“Evening”, Dean said with a lopsided smile, his tone slightly amused.</p><p>  The mage frowned in confusion. Dean was sitting on his desk chair, having put it against the wall beside the desk to look towards him, and had a big tome open on his lap.</p><p>  His memories finally caught up to him, and Cas suddenly gasped as he quickly sat up.</p><p>“Oh!”, he exclaimed, worry and shame rushing over him, “I’m so sorry…!”</p><p>“No reason to”, Dean cut him in a relaxed, calm tone as he passed another page of the book and perused its content, “You obviously needed that, man. No harm done”</p><p>  Though still panting from the sudden impression, Cas felt a bit relieved at Dean’s easy attitude. As soon as they teleported back to his room, he had felt he had no more energy for anything that day. He had weakly offered Dean to shower first, but the hunter had declined, saying he wanted to tend to his blades first thing. The hot shower had done wonders with Castiel’s sore muscles, and after Dean entered the bathroom, he had sat on his bed and laid down <em>for just a second</em>, he had thought.</p><p>  A quick glance at the wall clock told him that it had been, in fact, a bit more than two hours.</p><p>“I’m sorry”, he said again, “I don’t feel a good host would have left their guest unattended, or fall asleep on them”</p><p>“Well, a good hunting teacher would probably have not let you get caught by a mandrake, but here we are”, Dean shot back with a complicit smile, “Guess none of us is perfect”</p><p>  Castiel couldn’t help but smile back at Dean as he felt his tensions ease. Apparently, a lack of manners would not constitute an insult to the peasant. That was honestly very relieving. </p><p>“Mandrake?”, he asked as he tilted his head, eyes squinting a little bit.</p><p>“That tentaculous plant thing”, answered Dean, raising a hand to make a vague, sinuous move as his eyes racked over the pages.</p><p>“Ah! That’s its name?”</p><p>“Yep. No wonder you don’t know it, they’re not common. Hadn’t found one in years. Though, it’s true that they stay hidden till they sense a juicy prey”</p><p>“Like me”, Cas smiled.</p><p>“Like you”, the hunter agreed in a chuckle, and he looked up from his book, “How’re ya feelin’?”</p><p>“I’m fine”, the mage declared, “I was considerably tired, but I am feeling better now. I checked the Corruption in the bathroom- it’s light enough so that none will be left by tomorrow morning”</p><p>“Good”, Dean crisply said with a sudden ton of energy and purpose on his voice as he closed the book and put his hands on his knees, as if readying to stand up, “Then I guess you’re ready for round two?”</p><p>  Castiel blinked at him, then he understood. He had started frowning in unstoppable horror when Dean burst out laughing.</p><p>  The mage deadpanned at him. For a second, dismay had taken over him, realizing that Dean was talking about going hunting again <em>immediately</em>- and thinking about walking and fighting more with his exhaustion and soreness had made his soul whine. But of course they would not go back to the forest now. Night had fallen already.</p><p>  He was being teased again.</p><p>“Sorry, sorry”, the hunter chuckled, “Couldn’t help myself”</p><p>“It’s alright”, the mage said in what tried to be a grumpy, dry tone; but the slight smile that he found himself unable to stop probably betrayed him.</p><p>“I just tease everybody, I intend no disrespect”, Dean continued with a big smile.</p><p>“I understand. Also… I think you have labeled me as <em>too easy to tease</em>?”, he said, squinting at him with that smile betraying his serious face, “I guess it’s hard to resist”</p><p>  Dean looked up with a wicked smile and opened his lips to say something, but then shook his head with a chuckle.</p><p>“Nah, I’ll manage to keep it low-key”</p><p>“Why, thank you”, Cas answered with an amused gleam on his eye.</p><p>“But I mean it, man, you deserve some rest, come on. You did great today”</p><p>  Castiel couldn’t help but widen his eyes, pride revolving shy on his chest.</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Yeah!”, Dean said with a small smile, “I mean, you’re clumsy as fuck, and you got less experience than a toddler”</p><p>“That… doesn’t sound great”, Cas said with a wince, feeling his pride retreating.</p><p>“No, but <em>that’s the thing</em>”, Dean said in an eager tone, “You’re green as a pea but <em>still</em> managed to not get killed immediately. Not everyone can say that. Even more, you even <em>fought</em>. Sorta”, he added in a grunt, “Managed to get rid of two things- in my book that counts as fighting. Even if you didn’t wield a blade for two fucking seconds”</p><p>  The anxious tension in Castiel’s chest started softening.</p><p>“That was awesome, Cas. And it took real guts to come back like that. However”, he pointed very severely at him, his voice suddenly a growl, “I <em>told</em> you to leave. That was an order. We agreed I was in charge in the forest”</p><p>“I… you seemed in trouble”, Cas protested weakly.</p><p>“And I was”, Dean nodded without missing a beat, “But unless you had been less resourceful- that could have gotten both of us killed”</p><p>  The mage looked at him with wide eyes. Dean seemed more serious than angry.</p><p>“Don’t do that again”, the hunter said firmly, “This time it worked, we were lucky- and I obviously had underestimated how much you could do. But from here on, you gotta listen to me, man. When things get real bad, when shit hits the fan- I gotta know I can focus on fighting for my life without worrying about protecting you. So you run or teleport the fuck out, cause if not, you’re gonna get me dead. Clear?”</p><p>  The mage looked down, starting to understand. He didn’t like the idea of leaving Dean behind, but he was right.</p><p>“Clear”, he answered solemnly, and while Dean’s shoulders relaxed a bit, he made an awkward smile, “I guess I ought to practice following orders too, or else I will make a very lousy soldier”</p><p>  Dean let out a chuckle, his frown relaxed, smiling a bit again.</p><p>“Okay. Anyway, I trailed off… What I was meaning to say was…”, he seemed to doubt or struggle for a second before looking up at Cas with half a smile on his lips, “You ain’t half bad, mage. You don’t know shit, but you try damned hard, and you got guts. You’re resourceful and you think quick. I think maybe there’s some material to work with”, he said with his half-smile reaching his eyes, and then his voice got a bit softer, “And thanks to your map, and the repellent… we got closer to Sammy. I gotta thank you for that”</p><p>  Castiel felt a warm sensation bloom on his chest as an eager small smile spread on his face before he looked down. After that trying day, that made him feel so much better, like a reward for trying so hard. He reveled on the sensation for a second, happy and relieved.</p><p>  This was going to work, after all.</p><p>“I just… want to help. I’m glad to know I can”, he said, looking down shyly.</p><p>“Yeah, you fucking can, you monster clasher”, Dean snorted, “So I was thinking… is there a way we could like, celebrate?”</p><p>“Celebrate?”, the noble asked looking up.</p><p>“Yeah, man! We got Sammy’s trail back!”, the hunter’s eyes were gleaming, “Do you know how fucked up it would have been if we hadn’t? We could have searched for him for a <em>month</em> without finding him. Hell, he could leave the forest and be back in Lebania while we still roamed around turning up rocks”, he chuckled.</p><p>  Castiel’s gaze shifted to one side, pensive.</p><p>“I mean… there’s not really any place we can go together”, he finally said with a wince, “No one should know you are here”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I know, man”, Dean answered with a dismissive shake of his hand, “But can you like, I don’t know. Bring some booze or something with dinner?”</p><p>  Castiel’s eyebrows rose as he smiled.</p><p>“That, I can do”</p><p>“Awesome”, Dean answered with a wolfish smile.</p><p> </p><p>  Dinner consisted of a potent venison stew that had Dean moaning briefly and asking what the hell did they put on that thing. Cas told him about the spices his family imported from the eastern region of the Kingdom, and how his mother had always loved them, given she had been born there. Dean protested his monster atlas, telling him all the names were wrong, Cas had insisted that the name of a creature was the one its discoverer gave it; and they spent some time debating if the name most people called something was more valid than another that would be more accurate. They also went through the events of the day.</p><p>“I swear, man”, Dean laughed, “You. Flyyyying above the thing like a freaking hero of the legends…”, he said as he raised a palm in a diagonal arc, “And then BAM”, he harshly lowered it to his other hand in a loud clap.</p><p>  As the hunter laughed uncontrollably, Cas giggled too, looking down in slight embarrassment, remembering having been suddenly squashed to the ground.</p><p>“Shit, man”, the hunter said between laughter, “It’s funny now, but then I thought you were dead. But you’re tough, you’re tough”</p><p>  The hunter’s attitude towards Cas had changed, he realized. He had been wary of him at the beginning, unwilling to accept his help, considering him a burden. He had seemed even pissed, while they hunted and he displayed incompetence. His display of power and wit seemed to have changed his opinion about him… and the trail finding had completely changed his mood. The mage realized now how tense the hunter had been, and though he sometimes looked away in guilt as he thought, he was able to talk about his brother with a strained calm that before would only have been tension.</p><p>  Also, he was enjoying thoroughly the finer aspects of the noble life.</p><p>“I don’t know what the fuck is this <em>thing</em>, but it is awesome”, he said with a lewd smile after finishing his first cup and extending it forward to Cas.</p><p>  They had finished eating and had left the tray on the floor outside of the room- only two goblets and a big bottle between them. Dean was sprawling in the chair, not sitting straight on it for even a minute, tilting it towards the wall sometimes; while Castiel sat on the bed.</p><p>“Ambrosia. I’m sorry, it’s the only thing we had in our bodega”, the noble said as he refilled Dean’s cup with golden liquid.</p><p>“Sorry for what? It tastes incredible, and it is <em>strong</em>, wow”</p><p>“Yes, you should be careful”, Cas said with a worried wince, “The metabolism of magical wielders processes alcohol in a faster way, so it has a pretty high alcohol percentage, comparing to what you might have drunk so far. It might be a bit too strong for you”</p><p>“Pffft. You haven’t seen me drink”, Dean snorted as swirled his cup around before taking another sip.</p><p>“I haven’t”, the mage admitted with a nod but a stern look, “but the accumulated liver damage you had when I first inspected you gives me an approximate idea”</p><p>  Dean looked at him with shocked eyes.</p><p>“Wow, what?”, he asked in sudden worry, frowning.</p><p>“Don’t worry. After several rounds of healing, it’s mostly gone”</p><p>“Woah!”, the hunter emitted, eyebrows shooting up, “You fixed my liver?”</p><p>“I mean, I was not going leave it like <em>that</em>”, the mage frowned, “The damage had not accumulated enough to be a problem yet, but it would in a few years…”</p><p>“Shit, Cas, that’s awesome!”, the hunter laughed in triumph, beaming.</p><p>“Please, don’t use that as a blank check to drink even more”, the mage pleaded with a worried smile.</p><p>“Sure I won’t”, the hunter growled with a wicked smile.</p><p>  Cas sighed as he shook his head, but he was smiling.</p><p>“I didn’t know magic could heal that”, Dean mused, his smile turning curious.</p><p>“Magic can heal anything. Almost anything”, he corrected himself, “If the healer is good enough”, he added with a small smile.</p><p>  He was not very confident of many things about himself, but his healing capabilities were not one of those. Dean raised his eyebrows and nodded, impressed.</p><p>“I thought healing magic was like potions. Potions don’t fix cirrhosis, that I know for sure”, he snorted, “Most of the hunters I know chug’em on a daily basis, but that ain’t stopping the alcohol reaper”</p><p>“They work in slight different ways”, Castiel mused, expression concentrated to give a correct explanation, “When you ingest a potion, it flows through your bloodstream throughout your whole system. That means, it gets faster and with more potency to bleeding wounds and inflamed areas, where your body is already calling for more blood. But its intensity dilutes as it gets dispersed through the body. It can slightly help with blood-transported poisons or venoms, but will do very little against complex diseases”</p><p>“And… your magic does not work like that?”, Dean asked curiously, watching him intently.</p><p>“No. I can sense where the damage is, and send my magic specifically to that spot. I direct the energy exactly to the place it is needed, to do exactly the actions needed. I will not close an external wound if that means internal bleeding, for example; whereas the effect of a potion is much more unspecific. That’s the same reason why a potion Corrupts a deal more intensely than a healing spell, the focus. The more skilled the healer, the less Corruption he or she creates, and the finer the medical work is…”</p><p>“So, like…”</p><p>  The peasant stared at him for a moment.</p><p>“Wait a second. Are you saying that nobles don’t ever <em>get sick</em>?”, he said with a slightly shocked expression.</p><p>“Oh, they get sick, but, you know, you can heal…”</p><p>“I mean, do nobles never die of sickness”, Dean interrupted with an intense look in his eyes, “Like a normal sickness. Like cirrhosis, or pneumonia. Tuberculosis, I don’t know”</p><p>  Castiel took a slow breath, pursing his lips.</p><p>“If they have a capable healer close; and most noble houses have a powerful healer among the family members or the staff…”, he started enumerating slowly, “unless the disease is very aggressive and fast, and the healer does not get there in time, or the healer is not capable enough… No, they don’t. We don’t”, he corrected himself before looking up at Dean.</p><p>  The hunter was looking at him in absolute awe, as if he could not understand. “Leaving the Corruption aside”, Cas added, “There’s no cure for that. Yet. And you know. Death. Can’t be undone. We age, too, but slower, since accumulating damages don’t accumulate so much. Especially healing mages”, he smiled a little bit.</p><p>“Jesus Christ”, the hunter murmured finally, “You’re, what… super healthy?”</p><p>“It’s been sixteen years since the last time I was sick”, Cas added with a small, apologetic smile, “And… I’m not really sure that counted as a sickness. I’m pretty sure I’m immune to venoms or poisons, too. My nature is healing, so… my body sometimes takes care of things on its own. If not, it takes just a thought to make it happen”</p><p>“Wow”, Dean raised his eyebrows as he shook his head and drank from his cup, “To think people die by the hundreds”</p><p>“But… royal healers are posted in every population that’s big enough”, Cas protested with a confused frown, “Or close to several small populations”</p><p>“Yeah”, the peasant snorted, “Most on eternal leave due to nobility obligations or war calls. And the rest charge a pretty penny for a simple visit”</p><p>  The noble frowned deeply. According to crown regulations, the healers were provided by the noble families that took care of each area. That was one of the reasons they got funds. There was a small issue regarding that healers could ask for money from the people if their duties entailed traveling long distances or needed food or accommodations- but the noble families were asked to provide for that if possible.</p><p>  Apparently, someone was not behaving in good faith, being it the doctors or the nobles in charge of funding them. Castiel found this hard- and hurtful, how could they do that?- to believe, but he did not dare tell Dean how things <em>really were. </em>He knew he would not know more about the matter than him.</p><p>  Maybe the peasant’s initial reserve against nobles had some grounding. </p><p>“It’s always like this, ain’t it?”, the hunter said with a bitter smile, “Small people get the worst cards of the deck”</p><p>“I guess”, the noble answered as he looked away uncomfortably, feeling very unsuited to deepen in this particular topic of conversation.</p><p>“Can I ask you a question?”, Dean said.</p><p>  Cas rose his eyebrows but nodded.</p><p>“Did you nobles get affected by the Plagues?”</p><p>  Castiel looked at him, shocked for a second.</p><p>“What?”, he asked, not understanding.</p><p>“You know… I mean, since you guys have everything so easy…”, he rolled his eyes a bit.</p><p>  Castiel finally caught up and his expression turned into a frown.</p><p>“Dean, a disease needs a known cure for it to be healed”, he tried to explain calmly, but hurt was rolling in his heart, “No one had a cure for the Plagues when they arrived”</p><p>“I don’t know man, it wouldn’t surprise me if your castles kept them at bay”, the hunter snorted as he drank some more.</p><p>  A small fire of hurt blazed on Castiel’s chest.</p><p>“The Plagues decimated the entire population. No one was safe, no matter the status”, he stammered back, distant thunder in his eyes.</p><p>“Some safer than…”</p><p>“I lost a brother in the Apocalypse”, he snapped.  </p><p>  Dean looked at him for a second, sobered, dropping abruptly his acid grin- and apparently realizing for the first time his angry expression. His cheeks were a bit blushed by the alcohol, but he frowned.  </p><p>“Uh… Wow. Sorry, man”, his eyes shifted, insecure, “I just, you know, wondered if it had been different. I assumed…  But no. Everyone’s lost someone on the Plagues. Shouldn’t have asked like that… Nyeh. I’m not good with words”, he murmured, shaking his head.</p><p>  Castiel still frowned at him, angered, but realized Dean’s apology was sincere.</p><p>“You really aren’t”, he murmured, anger still gleaming on his eyes.</p><p>“Yeah”</p><p>  Dean kept his gaze low, looking at his beverage. Cas took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh.</p><p>“You are forgiven”, he said.</p><p>  And it came out in a tone so magnanimous, so <em>superior to Dean</em>, so similar to the way his mother sometimes talked, that he started a bit and frowned.</p><p>“… Thanks”, grunted the hunter after a second.</p><p>“Our… peoples live very differently”, Cas tried to add, softly and compassionately, a bit shaken by his own reaction, “And did I just tell you we don’t get sick... It was a valid question”</p><p>  Dean simply nodded at that.</p><p>“Do you… wanna talk about it?”, he offered a bit clumsily, “Losing a brother, I… I honestly don’t know what I’d do. If I lost Sammy”, Dean said in a murmur, eyes pained.</p><p>  Cas looked up at him… and smiled slightly. It was amazing how often a question like <em>what happened to you when the Plages hit</em> came when you met someone new. Everyone had learned to bond through trauma, he thought. Five years of war will do that to a society.</p><p>“His name was Zachariah”, he answered, looking at his glass too, “War took him. He went crazy. My older brothers had to fight him… and put him down”, the mage continued.</p><p>  He remembered. He always would. His older brother, mad with rage, attacking everyone he knew, violence his only language. Dean was looking at him with a small frown, eyes slightly wide.</p><p>“It… wasn’t easy”, he continued, “He was a mentalist… he used mind magic, I mean. And… he was the fifth son”, he said with the weight the sentence deserved.</p><p>“Uh… sorry, what… what does that mean?”</p><p>  Castiel looked up at Dean, blinking in slight surprise.</p><p>“Er… The older sons of a House are the most powerful ones, and with each sibling, the power dwindles”</p><p>“Ah. The Four Stars people mention sometimes are the first four, then?”</p><p>“Yes”</p><p>“You were…”, Dean squinted in thought, trying to remember.</p><p>“Seventh son”, the mage provided.</p><p>“… and you can like, teleport, and do light shows and never get sick…”, the hunter frowned, “Jesus, how powerful are your big brothers then?”</p><p>“Exactly my point”, Castiel sighed, looking down, “Zachariah’s power was <em>immense</em>. He took all of the staff members, housekeep or soldiers, that got to him before my older brothers did”</p><p>“Shit. How many?”</p><p>“Twenty? Twenty-five? I don’t remember”</p><p>“Jesus Christ”, Dean murmured, “I guess mages take a bigger toll than normal folks”</p><p>“I’d guess so, yes. My brothers…”, Cas frowned, eyes lost in the memory, “My mother took me and my younger siblings to the roof, and asked my eldest brothers to end it. The Four Stars fought Zachariah while Uriel and my mother stayed with us. Part of the fight was through illusions, so we missed a lot… since we weren’t affected. But they took him down. And we saw… all of it”, he did not bring himself to say <em>how he died</em>, “It was fast. Merciful, I think. Destroyed half of our patio”, Castiel said playing a bit with his glass, eyes low.</p><p>“Fuck. I’m so sorry, man”</p><p>“It’s okay”, he sighed, “It was a long time ago. I got over it”</p><p>“How old were you?”</p><p>“Six”</p><p>“Shit…”</p><p>“Yeah”</p><p>“But you remember”</p><p>“Oh, yeah”, he nodded as he rose his eyebrows- as if he could ever forget.</p><p>  Cas drank a bit and started scratching the nail of his thumb against the glass rim, not looking up. He kept to himself that Zachariah had been nine, maybe ten at the time. He did not expect Dean to understand that mages, especially the ones on the more powerful side of the gradient, could be considered mortal threats by seven. He was pretty sure his teachers labeled Lucifer as “mortally dangerous” when he was five. Magic was not a force to be underestimated. </p><p>“My mum died when I was eight. In the Apocalypse, too. Death took her”</p><p>  Cas looked up. Dean was looking away. The hunter took a long pull from his goblet.</p><p>“I’m really sorry. That must have been very tough”, the noble provided.</p><p>“No shit”, Dean’s mouth twitched in a bitter smile that never formed, “It was nighttime, when the curse hit”</p><p>“Yeah, I remember. The lights in the sky…”</p><p>“Yeah… She was… checking on Sammy. I think he cried or something, and she got out of bed. She was holding a candle when she… dropped dead”, he said in a monotone, as if trying not to infuse his voice with any feelings, “Candle fell on the carpet. House caught on fire”</p><p>“Oh my god”, Cas said in horror.</p><p>“We got out in time”, Dean added in a dismissive murmur, “Dad handed me Sammy, told me to run. He tried to wake mum up. None of us understood what had happened until people in the neighborhood started screaming”</p><p>  Cas pressed his lips in consternation. Death had been brutal. Implacable. Unavoidable, confusing, frustrating, unfair. The most of all the Plagues. The others, at least they let people understand what was happening to their loved ones before the inevitable. </p><p>“I am really sorry”</p><p>“Well”, he made a bitter smile, “At least she didn’t suffer. Like the Pestilence ones”</p><p>  Cas couldn’t help but inhale through his teeth, hissing at a memory.</p><p>“After that, dad took Sammy and I and we started moving around. We lived on the road ever since. Never settled down. Guess we got used to it. Dad thought we could avoid the plagues if we avoided people and settling”</p><p>  Dean stopped for a second to take a pull from his cup.</p><p>“And it kinda worked. None of the three of us caught any of the other Spells”, he continued, but he made a bitter half-smile, “Well, we got through the Apocalypse alright, but then Sammy was taken by The Darkness”</p><p>“Oh, my”, said Cas, breath hitching.</p><p>  The previous king had been so evil he had been called <em>The King of Hell</em>. Fergus of the House of Crowley was a very powerful mage that only cared about getting more power. The population starved, suffered all kinds of hardship- while getting incredibly high taxes and very little in the way of rights. Protests gave way to rebellions, and rebellions gave place to Heaven’s War- an armed conflict where the followers of Crowley fought an organized population that even through hardship, put together an army that started to conquer back several places that stopped paying taxes and took over the warehouses of food and supplies of Crowley’s army.</p><p>  In an attempt of suffocating the rebellion, the protests, and the rise of the newly organized army, Crowley tried to use his powers to end all who opposed him in three awful events: the Apocalypse, the Darkness… and the End.</p><p>  During the Apocalypse, four awful dark spells had been unleashed upon the Earth. Famine was slow but awful: whoever was affected by it could eat, but no nourishment got to their bodies. People withered away in days in a slow, awful demise. War made people crazy with rage and violence, and siblings attacked each other, fathers to their children, friends to friends, strangers to strangers. It didn’t stop until they were killed, put down like rabid dogs. Pestilence made people fall sick, down in their cots coughing blood and pain coursing through their bodies. Death… had been the most silent and merciful. Whoever got it… just dropped dead. No suffering. No possible attempt of a solution, however. For the other spells, people had found remedies that sometimes worked. But not for Death, not ever.</p><p>  The four Spells moved through the whole kingdom, faster than the fastest horsemen, affecting people at random. No one knew until much later that they ran through Ley Lines, natural courses of magic that had not been discovered yet at that time. Since they didn’t match the roads, or rivers, or flows of people, anything anyone would have found logical at the time; no one knew where one could come from. Every person had a random chance of getting any of them, none of them were more frequent in a specific area, and only Pestilence was contagious. Two brothers of the same family could get a different Spell each. It was a time of confusion and terror, of losing loved ones and not knowing what would happen next. But people didn’t give up, and after the Plagues dwindled down the fighting continued, the conflict extending for five more years.</p><p>  Right when it seemed Crowley’s defeat was nigh, the Darkness was unleashed. A huge storm of black fog had washed over the kingdom, and when that fog got into a body, it ended up controlling it and making it act in a very similar way to War. Violent and merciless, immune to pain, until the bodies simply dropped dead.</p><p>“But he’s alive”, Cas said in awe, “Sammy was taken by The Darkness… but got healed? How? The cure was only known by a few scholars that investigated it- and as soon as they started giving it to the population, the Curse had mostly worn off already”</p><p>“He’s always been a very smart kid”, Dean said, eyes lost on the middle distance, a proud smile on his face, “Fixed it all on his own. He couldn’t tell me or my dad when it happened- we were out, on a supply run. So he shut himself up in Bobby’s library, started researching like crazy. Bobby was out, but he knew where the key was- and also all of his ritual ingredients. He got his big head between books and before the shadows overtook him, he had already figured out how to heal it and done it. We only learned what happened when we came back and found him exhausted, a jar of Holy Oil by his side. Along with <em>everything else</em> he had tried but had failed. Such a mess”, Dean chuckled.</p><p>  Cas had his lips parted in admiration. Indeed, when Holy Fire- Holy Oil set ablaze- burned close to someone infected by The Darkness, it consumed it; given the lightomantic purification properties of the substance. That entailed a very deep understanding of the magic elements. The Darkness had finally been revealed to be the biggest shadowmantic spell that had ever been casted- mixed with some perversed healing magic, plus enough climatemancy to make a storm out of it for swift delivery.</p><p>“How old was he?”, the mage asked.</p><p>“Nine or ten, I think”</p><p>“Smart indeed”, Cas conceded with a small smile.</p><p>“Very”, Dean answered with a fond smile, eyes lost in memories.</p><p>“I was taken by the Darkness, too”</p><p>  Dean looked up at him, surprised.</p><p>“I was… outside”, Cas provided with a sad smile, “I liked birds. I wanted to fly one day like them. I was sitting on a bench, drawing them, when clouds of shadows covered the horizon”</p><p>  The Darkness had been less extensive than the Apocalypse because it had only affected people that were outdoors. But those who it had found under the sky…</p><p>“Holy damn”, Dean murmured, “How was it?”</p><p>“Awful”, he sighed, and looked down at his hands, “The shadows got inside me and I felt they were going to make me explode… But Pestilence was worse”</p><p>“What?”, asked Dean in alarm.</p><p>“I was also taken by Pestilence, in the Apocalypse”, Cas delivered looking up.</p><p>  Dean looked at him, eyes very wide.</p><p>“What?”, he asked again.</p><p>  Cas smiled a bit and nodded, a little shrug to one of his shoulders.</p><p>“<em>Dude</em>. You were taken by the Apocalypse <em>and</em> the Darkness? How’s that even possible? You should have died at least twice right now!”</p><p>“I know”, Cas answered with a fond smile, eyes lost in the distance.</p><p>“Then how? Your healing magic is that strong?”</p><p>“Absolutely not”, Cas chuckled, “And I was six at the time, my magic was still to be mostly to be developed… It was my father. He was a great healer, very, <em>very</em> good. He saved me both times. The doctors said that I was practically undone when he got to me, but twice he put me back together”, Cas smiled to his memory, “He saved me, he brought me back”</p><p>“How did he do it?”</p><p>“Lots, and I mean <em>lots</em> of very intense, surgically precise healing magic. So much, I got very Corrupted, I almost Fell for what they told me- I don’t remember. I was unconscious during most of the process. After it all ended, the Corruption lingered for a long time. I could not do a single spell or use my powers in any way for weeks, or I would have Fallen instantly”</p><p>“That… must have been tough”, guessed the hunter.</p><p>“So much”, Cas sighed, “I felt so… helpless. I always have used my magic for everything. I could not teleport, I had to <em>walk</em> everywhere. No spells for strength, not being able to help in anything. My body resented, too. I got sick very easily at that time. So weak, sometimes I couldn’t even walk, I stumbled upon everything… So <em>graceless</em>. An experience I’m not eager to repeat”, he declared with a shudder, “But it was the price for keeping me alive. It must have been tough on my father too. He performed spell after spell, night after night, without resting or stopping- or getting Corrupted himself, that good was his control over magic. I will always be grateful to him”</p><p>“Wow. Must have been very good”</p><p>“Yeah, he was”</p><p>“He, uh… passed?”</p><p>  Cas looked at him.</p><p>“Why would you say that?”</p><p>“Er… you speak of him in past tense, buddy”, Dean delivered arching an eyebrow, as if it were the most obvious thing ever.</p><p>“Oh, no”, he answered with a small smile, understanding the confusion, “He just left”</p><p>“Left? What do you mean?”</p><p>“To the army. To the Warriors of Heaven” </p><p>  Dean was still frowning. He didn’t seem to understand.</p><p>“But he, uh… doesn’t come back to visit or something?”</p><p>  Cas looked at him perplexed for a second before understanding.</p><p>“I guess… that’s something that’s not a part of a peasant’s life”, he said with a small smile, “We nobles, our lives are conditioned by our duties. And the higher ranks of the Warriors of Heaven… can’t be shackled by their families. Some of them do come back, but others, the higher ranks… they have to leave their families forever and never return. We all accept that. In some cases, the memories of the family have to be erased”</p><p>“What??”</p><p>“This way, a soldier cannot be bought or blackmailed with the security of their loved ones”, Cas continued, “And they can focus on the protection of the Kingdom”</p><p>“Dude… What kind of dad erases their children’s memories?”</p><p>“My father did”, answered Cas, looking up.</p><p>  Dean’s face was of pure horror.</p><p>“It’s the best for everyone, Dean”, continued Cas, a very serious expression on his face.</p><p>“You can’t mean that”, the hunter insisted.</p><p>“As long as there’s no connection, no members of the family can become targets”, Castiel explained, “Some of the monsters on the borders, they are intelligent and organized. They could try and blackmail a high operative with the safety of a defenseless child, a baby even. Do you think that would be better?”</p><p>“I… I guess not but come on, like something like that’s gonna happen…”</p><p>“When the War was ending, a faction of vampires infiltrated the Kingdom and gathered intel on the commanders of the army. The ones who didn’t surrender to blackmail got their families killed, tortured, or turned into monsters. Those who surrendered to the threats… the information they gave out allowed the Vampire Faction to access one of the healing camps, where wounded, defenseless soldiers recovered. It was a massacre”</p><p>  Dean blinked at that. He obviously had never heard of that.</p><p>“That’s actually how the security measure was first implemented”, Cas finished explaining.</p><p>  Dean raised his hands in a silent apology, realizing he could have offended Cas.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I was just… shocked. I mean… you remember nothing of your father, then?”, he said, still horror in his tone.</p><p>  Cas smiled to himself</p><p>“I remember his love. His patience. I remember sitting on his lap while he told me stories. I remember him nursing me back to health, patiently by my bedside. I remember that for a time, probably after he spent so much time healing me, he paid more attention to me than to any of my other eight siblings”, he said with a guilty smile of glee, “I remember his lessons. His values. I just don’t remember, you know. His face, or his name. But that’s not important. I remember who he was, in the way that matters”</p><p>  Dean stared at him for a moment, before nodding.</p><p>“And everyone that gets into the Warriors of Heaven has his memories erased?”, he asked in disbelief.</p><p>“Of course not. Only the highest operatives”, Cas answered, “That’s why I believe my father must be the highest-ranking healer in the army, or one of them. Probably posted somewhere important”</p><p>  Dean looked at him and squinted thoughtfully.</p><p>“Cas… do you wanna get into the Warriors of Heaven to find your father?”</p><p>  Cas looked at him and then down to his drink.</p><p>“No. I want to because it’s the right thing to do. I have more power than others, so it should be used to protect those who can’t protect themselves. I can change things, I can help. So, I want to. I was helped when I needed it, when I got sick. It’s the right thing to do”</p><p>  Dean pursed his lips, saying nothing, probably doubting. Cas floundered for a second.</p><p>“If I find him in the army, that’s fine. I mean, I would like that, but I can’t count on it, you know? If he’s not too high ranked, maybe I would be able to keep the memory, cause I’m not a defenseless child anymore- especially when I become powerful enough to make it into the army. But… if he’s high enough, maybe I would have it erased again. So… that can’t be my objective”</p><p>“I see”</p><p>“He has written, very scarcely”, Cas continued, “Mother read us his letters. Once a year, especially at the beginning. Not anymore. But it’s okay. He was mostly absent during the war, coming and leaving, and he left definitely when I was eleven, after he saved me from The Darkness. I’ve gotten used to it. I don’t… I do miss him”, he corrected himself, “But I know he’s helping a lot of people, and that makes me proud”</p><p>  Cas looked at Dean smiling, and Dean smiled back.</p><p>“You know”, Dean said, “That whole thing of <em>helping people</em> and <em>defending those who can’t defend themselves</em>… That sounds a lot like what hunters say and do”</p><p>“Does it?”</p><p>“Yeah”, Dean smiled, “I’m starting to think we have more things in common than I thought”</p><p>  Castiel smiled back at him, though he looked down.</p><p>“Well, you were right about something. We nobles had it much easier sometimes. When the End came… we just had to stay in our homes. Our castles could not be run down by monsters. Then, we had it way easier than common folk”</p><p>  The End had been the last, most desperate play of Crowley. As he saw he was losing, that his castle was being stormed… he had decided that if the kingdom couldn’t be his, it would be of no one. So, with the rest of his lifeforce, he cast a spell that opened the doors to another plane.</p><p>  And the world had been flooded by monsters.</p><p>  Things that people had only heard of in legends, beasts that had sometimes appeared cause of a flick of destiny, or a mage doing a stupid deal... suddenly swarmed the forests and villages. Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, wendigos… everything. Everywhere.</p><p>  Then came the rise of hunters.</p><p>  The army got so many casualties that their forces got to a fifth of what they used to, and they couldn’t get to every monster. So in different places, people started to take arms. Warriors that hadn’t enlisted into the rebel army started killing monsters in their own way.   </p><p>  Crowley was defeated shortly after The End, but his final strike hit very hard on the people of the kingdom. And at the end of the five-year conflict, the country’s population had lowered to a third of its original amount.</p><p>  When the conflict was over, most of the monsters were pushed outside what in the present were the borders of the kingdom. A new ruler, a better king rose to the throne, establishing the House of the Holy. His name was not mentioned or known, since the power of names was known to every mage. In fact, it was rumored that the reason Fergus Crowley had finally been taken down, was through his True Name; which he had kept known probably simply due to his own ego. Everyone referred to the new king as The Lord, and he changed the name of the kingdom as a promise for the good times that were to come to <em>Heaven</em>. And for now, he had not done a bad job, to Castiel’s eyes. The population had grown a bit, cities were rebuilt, funds had been dispatched to the most damaged places. The duties of nobility were established to protect the population, and peace had come back to stay.</p><p>  After the war, an army entirely made out of mages was formed, the Warriors of Heaven. Their mission was to be positioned at the borders, protecting the kingdom from the hordes of monsters that still roamed outside. Some monsters still remained, not rampaging over every city and every road- but reduced to caves, forests, remote places. The hunters still took care of them to this day, fifteen years after the end of the war.   </p><p>“My dad was among the first hunters”, Dean provided.</p><p>“Was he?”</p><p>“Yeah. He took me and Sam with him, left us in a safe place when he had to take down something, then we moved on. He taught Sammy and me everything he knew. Some time later, he gave me his sword”</p><p>“The Impala?”</p><p>“Yeah”, Dean smiled for a moment, “It’s original name was The Impaler, you know. Cause my dad started killing vampires, and when you don’t cut their heads, what you gotta do is impale them through the heart. But Sammy”, he laughed for a second, “he was very young, and he didn’t know how to say <em>Impaler</em>. He kept calling it <em>Impala</em>. I think it was funny for my dad. After the years, he kept the name”</p><p>“That is so cute”, smiled Cas.</p><p>“Hey”, Dean growled in his direction, fake anger on his half-smile, “There’s nothing <em>cute</em> about my awesome sword”</p><p>“Of course not”, Cas conceded, a fake serious expression on his face.</p><p>“That’s what I thought” </p><p>“You… do call it <em>Baby</em>, however”, he said with a small, repressed smile.</p><p>  Dean glared at him, but Cas rose his palms in a pacifying gesture, smiling to himself.</p><p>“Then your father is the reason why you became a hunter?”, Cas tried to change the subject.</p><p>“Yep. He… he died some years ago. A demon got to him. He… kinda died protecting me. But he killed him good in return”</p><p>“I’m so sorry”, frowned Cas.</p><p>“Yeah, I know. It’s okay. It was a warrior’s death. No hunter dies of old age, you know? I’ve accepted that too. Maybe one day I would have liked to have kids or whatever…”, Dean’s gaze got lost for a moment, “But I can’t stay put if I see people in danger, you know?”, he said looking up at Cas.</p><p>“I know the feeling”, Cas smiled, “I have found people hurt in the woods before, and healed them. It is a risk, me not being an experienced fighter and all, and my mum has really tried to stop me from repeating it… but how can I turn around when I know I can help?”</p><p>“Exactly!”, Dean smiled fiercely. Then looked down as if in insecurity, “Besides. I don’t know how to do anything else”</p><p>“It’s not a bad job. An important job. Maybe not one with a high survival rate, however”, the mage conceded with a tilt of his head.</p><p>“Well, neither it is enlisting into the army that fights with monsters every day”, Dean shot back.</p><p>“I guess not”, said Cas, smiling.</p><p>  Dean smiled back at him.</p><p>“Like I said. More in common than I thought”</p><p>“Maybe”, Cas conceded.</p><p>  They stared into each other for some moments. Cas felt that he knew Dean so much better than an hour before. He was glad he had brought up this conversation.</p><p>“What does your fiancée think about you wanting to enlist in the army? It’s dangerous shit”</p><p>  The mention sombered Cas a bit, but he braced himself not to show it. It made his smile disappear, though. </p><p>“She… she knows. She’s always known. We nobles have duties in exchange for our privileges. So, it’s not like she can complain”</p><p>  A small silence followed his statement. When Cas looked up at Dean, having gotten lost in thought with a small frown, he found the hunter with a puzzled expression.</p><p>“<em>She</em>?”, he asked confused, “So you’re bi?”</p><p>  Cas stared at Dean, his face an expressionless mask.</p><p>“No. I’m homosexual”, he answered very calmly.  </p><p>  Dean blinked at him, his frown deepening.</p><p>“It’s not important…”, Cas started, trying for the issue to be dropped.</p><p>“I don’t understand”, Dean asked more or less at the same time, “You don’t like women but are engaged to one? Makes no sense”</p><p>  Castiel pressed his lips, growing more uncomfortable by the second.</p><p>“One cannot spawn children in a homosexual relationship, Dean. That is basic biology”, he stated in a tense, crisp tone.</p><p>“What do children have to do with anything?”</p><p>“What do you think marriage is for?”</p><p>“Uuuuh, I don’t know, spending the rest of your life with someone you love?”, Dean answered opening his hands, palms showing.</p><p>  The noble just... stared at him, at the nonsense he’d just uttered.</p><p>“Maybe for peasants”, he conceded as something ugly twisted in his guts, “But I already told you that the nobility has privileges in exchange for duties. Too many mages died in the War, and keep dying in the borders of the Kingdom. We have an obligation to provide the country with our power. The army needs us, and our descendants. Do you not know this?”, he asked, taken aback. </p><p>  The hunter was still frowning, eyes shifting as he tried to understand.</p><p>“But, like… what if you don’t wanna have children?”</p><p>  He could not be that clueless. Did the peasantry really ignore that much how the world worked?</p><p>“There are two options for nobles, Dean”, Castiel said in a severe tone, his frown deep, “You have many children, or you fight in the Army. Or in my case, if you’re asked for it, you do both. You don’t have a say in it. You do what you’re demanded to do. It doesn’t matter what you <em>want</em>, it’s duty”</p><p>  Dean just… stared at him- and Castiel didn’t like a second of it. He saw how confusion gave way to awful realization, how horror started growing in his green eyes. He squirmed where he sat, restless, and stood up to walk to his alchemy table- where a potion bottle out of place seemed so important to remove at that moment.   </p><p>“Wait, hold on a second…”, the peasant chuckled as he sat forward, shaking his head, “You gotta be joking me. That’s a joke, right?”</p><p>  The mage took the bottle and calmly stretched to place it back on one of the shelves of the wall. </p><p>“Cas, what the fuck”, Dean kept talking at his back, his voice suddenly heavier, “You’re telling me that no matter if you’re gay or asexual or whatever, you gotta <em>breed</em>? Like… Like goddamned <em>cattle</em>?”</p><p>  Castiel froze by the table, a rush of poisonous heat flushing throughout his whole body.</p><p>  He had <em>never</em> thought of it that way.</p><p>  It was <em>exactly</em> that way.</p><p>  He felt his face burning red, with embarrassment, with shame, regret, with all the pain this issue had always brought him; sensed the rush of hormones sent into his bloodstream, the quickening of his heart, the tension of the muscles in his stomach, the raise of his body temperature. He felt so humiliated. There was no way he could answer that question.</p><p>“Dude”, Dean protested, obviously taking his immobility and lack of answer as an affirmation, “That’s…! That can’t be right. Man, that…”, he babbled for a second, but the indignation was clear in his voice, “You’re not gonna allow that, are you? Like, you’re never gonna be with a guy? No way! There’s gotta be something we can do!”</p><p>  He could not move. So many, too many ugly feelings were twisting, slithering, recoiling, and rising inside of him. Too many years of denial, of rebellion, the pain from his crushing realization when he had just been twelve flaring white-hot. All he had investigated, all he had tried, all the sacrifices he had made and all the work he had done night and day to finally find out- that it wasn’t enough, that it would never be enough. There was no escaping it, there wasn’t a way.</p><p>“You’re… Dude”, and then Dean had <em>pity</em> on his voice. Or maybe disdain, “You’re, what, just gonna accept that and not fight back?”</p><p>  And that voice... that was it.</p><p>“Who do you think you are?!”, Castiel roared as he swirled back.</p><p>  The hunter started at his scream, his goblet splashing a bit in the sudden movement.</p><p>“You know nothing about how <em>anything</em> works- and you come here and try to <em>lecture me</em>?!”, he snapped, fists balling, “You don’t think I’ve tried, you…!!”</p><p>  He lost his words, too many he wanted to say at the same time. Dean was frozen, looking at him with wide eyes. Cas was panting, rage flaming on his veins; he was shaking. The rage mixed with his pain and simmered down to pure hate for a second.</p><p>“You come here”, he said tilting his head up, pure acid on his voice, “to tell me how to live my life? Are you really <em>arrogant</em> enough to believe that all I <em>ever</em> needed to change things was <em>you</em> telling me to <em>fight back</em>? You”, he said in a merciless, superior tone, “Know. Nothing. So accept your ignorance and don’t you <em>dare</em> judge me”</p><p>  They stayed silent. Dean didn’t move, looking up at him, lips sealed, eyes wide. Cas still balled his fists, eyes staring hard at the hunter. The crackling of the flames seemed loud in the stillness. The tension in the air could have been cut with a knife.</p><p>  After a few seconds the hunter slowly put his goblet on the floor, worried eyes never leaving him, and raised his hands slowly in a pacifying gesture.</p><p>“Wow, Cas…”, he whispered in a careful voice, “I… I’m not…”, he babbled as he started to get up from the chair.</p><p>  But his words halted as he wobbled a bit on his feet. He took a hand to the wall to steady himself as closed his eyes while he raised his eyebrows, blinking, trying to focus his gaze.</p><p>  It dawned at Cas, and the tension drained from his body as the winds on his sails died, the rage dwindling.</p><p>“You’re drunk”, he stated simply, and it came out contemptuous somehow.</p><p>  Castiel should have known. Ambriosia was not for peasants. He made a wry sigh as he closed his eyes. He was not prone to anger. Rage had left a hollow feeling behind. He knew that the hunter could not be completely accountable for his words if he was intoxicated.</p><p>  Still, Cas hurt. A lot. He was still mad, and too many bottled down things had risen and were wreaking havoc inside of him. They were out, and he could not deal with them, because there was no solution- and his mind immediately suggested the next best thing.</p><p>  But first things first. He shook his head in disappointment and walked two brisk steps to put two fingers to the hunter’s forehead. </p><p>  Dean started and took a lateral step, blinking quickly, apparently disoriented by the sudden lack of alcohol in his system.</p><p>  Then, immediately after Dean moved aside, he seized the opportunity and took the chair the peasant had just vacated from the wall to place it in front of his desk again. Without looking back at Dean he started arranging quill and ink, parchment, took his notes from the nearby bookshelf.</p><p>“What… are you doing?”, the hunter asked in mild confusion.</p><p>“Despite what you might believe, I had a <em>life</em> before I met you. I have duties and responsibilities, that I have been postponing for way too long”</p><p>  He could not help being bitter and merciless. He still hurt so fucking much. His inescapable fate made his life miserable every minute he couldn’t avoid thinking about it, or work to make it better; and then his stupid hopes raised up again, telling him that maybe, maybe there could be a way, maybe… And he knew it was helpless, so he got mad at them. And at himself. And at his mother. And remembered the terror she inspired in him. And the pain of the things she had done to him. And then came the guilt…</p><p>“Cas…”, he heard Dean start saying in a dubious, insecure voice.</p><p>“I have work to do”, he interrupted in a severe tone without looking at the hunter, “Go to sleep, or you’ll get a headache” </p><p>  It was a lie. He had already fixed Dean’s system- but he <em>needed</em> him to go away. To not talk about this, to not remind him what had just happened and been said, to let him bury himself in his work and hold on to it for dear life. </p><p>  He heard Dean shift his weight between his feet, uncomfortable. He ignored him very sternly, passing the pages of his investigation to where he had stopped writing on his previous session. He heard the hunter let out a small huff of air and turn around, his steps as he walked away towards his side of the bed.</p><p>  He ignored him as he heard how he sat on the bed for a moment. He ignored him even harder at the sound of his clothes whispering as he changed, frowning as his gaze pierced the written words. He still ignored him as he heard the sheets rustling. Only after silence came he moved, making a gesture towards the white crystals on the walls, turning their lights off with a flick of his wrist- his notes left illuminated only by the candles on his desk. When he looked furtively back, he saw the hunter’s head protruding from the bedding, his back turned to him.</p><p>  He turned to his work and took a deep breath and let it out in a huff. Unable to concentrate on what he was reading, he turned to writing, starting to enumerate the symptoms of the diseases he was comparing. He had done it a million times before, but he didn’t care.</p><p>  Three vertical lines to divide the parchment in four parts. He started enumerating the symptoms of each. One, two, three, four, five... The list was familiar, a refuge. When he started this investigation, he had hoped that if he cured an incurable disease... maybe that would be enough. Maybe changing medicine forever <em>and</em> fighting in the Army could be considered contribution enough for his lifetime, maybe enough to avoid the engagement. His hopes had dwindled down to almost nothing over the years, and had entered a state of stasis as he got stuck and found no new sources, no new ways of continuing the investigation. But the work, the repetition- it was his safe place. The hope that would not damned die still whispered that maybe, just the smallest of maybes, it could work. It could save him. So when he was truly desperate, he turned to it- and it calmed him down like a balm extending over him.</p><p>  The mystery of it dragged his mind away from his stray thoughts and shaken emotions. He listed the Croatoan disease symptoms- something no one ever had understood- with a flutter of eagerness in his gut, fascination leaving pain behind. He dove into it, grateful and greedy.</p><p>  There was little he could advance on, however. He had already searched the books he had last brought from the Academy, and had not found the time to go back for more. He remembered momentarily about those blooms that had withered away. His mind chased its own tail for a while, going over and over symptoms, causes, magical interactions, and physiological responses. Deep down he knew he was not going to achieve anything new - but he was happy to go over the process, since finding answers wasn’t his objective tonight.</p><p>  At some point he found himself with his eyes closed, leaning on the hand that pinched the bridge of his nose, his mind slipping into unconsciousness in the middle of the memorized list of Corruption symptoms and stages. He opened his eyelids and found them heavy to move. He turned to the clock on the wall. It was <em>very</em> late- but he could still get four or five hours of sleep. Maybe it would be enough so that tomorrow wouldn’t be unbearable.</p><p>  Tomorrow. He sighed. He was supposed to go hunting tomorrow. He scratched at the veins the Corruption had marred his chest with. He needed his rest.</p><p>  <em>It will all be better when I get into the Army</em>, he told himself for the thousandth time, <em>I’m doing this to get into the Army. I’m fixing this as much as it can be fixed- and for that, I need to rest.</em></p><p>  He left the quill on the table and passed his hands over his hair, keeping them at the back of it as he closed his eyes for a second, his head sheltered between his arms. He had no idea how was he going to look Dean in the eye the next day.</p><p>  He tiredly guessed that was a problem for future Castiel.</p><p>  He moved mechanically, ordering his notes and taking them away, disrobing in the bathroom, sliding into his pajamas first, and after putting the candles out, between the sheets. His back turned to Dean, he stayed for some time with his eyes open, his feelings stirring a bit yet.</p><p>  But his exhaustion was stronger, and it dragged him mercifully away.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I do love a bit of suffering :) Poor Cas. We finally see where his motivations come from. </p><p>So... wow. This was my beginning &lt;3. I tried to fix into the story as many details from the show as I could. We got the Apocalypse, the Darkness, The End. How the Winchesters started hunting, Castiel's father bringing putting him back together twice (I did not know Chuck was God when I started writing this so I just thought of an undetermined loving dad), Cas being graceless... and Crowley as the King of Hell xD I felt *so fucking smart* when I came up with all of this, and I was so fucking excited! But I couldnt share it. But now it's out there!!!!!</p><p>So like, yeah some changes too- it's Sam who's 4 when Mary dies and not Dean. But I needed that so that Sam was old enough to be like, smart and problem-resolutive when the Darkness got to him, or then the war would have been too long. And we needed some time without war for the people to settle, so the characters would have had to be even older, and that would have made Michael and Lucifer like 45 and that was too damned much xD I wanted Dean and Cas to be younger than me cause it felt weird if they werent?? And the war had to be short enough so Samandriel could be born, since Cas's dad fought there and left half way... Well, it was a mess but I'm happy how it turned out xD</p><p>I mention again - this was written during SUMMER OF 2020. Do you have *any idea* how long Ive waited to share it with the world?? ... Well, yeah, you know exactly that, but DO YOU KNOW how EAGER I've been about sharing it? :D Ah, I'm so fucking happy- and so eager to know what you think about. Spare some words about the construction of the kingdom's history? :D We will learn more about how the Kingdom works right now in future chapters. </p><p>What do you guys think of the history of the Kingdom? This chapter gives way to our first Dean POV. Wish me luck :)) </p><p>On a final note, here you got the ages in case someone's curious (THIS WAS A BITCH TO MAKE xD):<br/>First plague (Apocalypse): Sam 4, Dean 8, Cas 6<br/>Time between plagues: 5 years.<br/>Second plague (The Darkness): Sam 9, Dean 13, Cas 11<br/>The End (monsters) arrives 1 year later, with the end of the war (10, 14, 12).<br/>It's been 15 years since the end of the war so: Sam 25, Dean 29, Cas 27.</p><p>Regarding Castiel's brothers: in the present Samandriel's 22, Cas is 27, Uriel's 29, Gabriel's 31 and Lucifer and Michael are 35. Zachariah died in the first plague when he was 9 (he was 3 years older than Cas). As you know, there were more siblings that are not here any longer. You will learn more about them in the future :)</p>
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